The Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Unleashed
by sparklepencil
Summary: Link and Zelda live in peace and harmony in the kingdom of Hyrule after Midna leaves to return to the Twilight Realm. The notorious villain that once threatened the kingdom joins forces with a dark villain to destroy Hyrule once and for all. It'll take the power of the mysterious four instruments of legend to save the kingdom from complete destruction. Can they save it in time?
1. A Peaceful Day in Ordon

**Hey guys! This is a story that my friend and I wrote on another website cal;ed . His username is Carrotawesome, and we've been working hard on this story for about a year now. I write all the odd chapters by myself, and he writes all the even chapters by himself, so all the even chapters are entirely written by him and him alone. Anyway, we've had a lot of fun doing it and so I wanted to share it with you guys! Enjoy!**

**Zelda's POV**

Zelda was so proud of Link. He had always managed to conquer evil once and for all. He was a good strong hero, and she loved the fact that he never gave up.

Still, it had been four months since she last saw him. He was probably in his home right now, herding the sheep for Fado, his favorite farmer. She smiled as she imagined him annoying the goats, and then wrestling them to the ground. He was quite the crazy one, indeed.

Still, she couldn't just go wander off without having to tell everyone. She needed to be there for her people, especially after the chaos that had happened.

Zelda sighed and sat down on her bed. If only she could see Link again! She missed that handsome face, with those handsome blue eyes, and that brown hair...

Wait a second! Why would Zelda think like this? She shook her head and changed her thoughts. She wasn't in love with Link, and she would never be. Yeah, exactly.

Opening the doors to her balcony, Zelda looked out into the streets of Castle Town. Spotting Telma, she smiled. Telma was carrying some beer boxes back to her bar, probably restocking everything. Some of the Gorons were helping her carry the boxes, while others were already inside, probably unpacking the boxes.

The Gorons made Zelda think of Link again. He had saved them by restoring their leader Darbus from the evil twilight that overtook him and changed him into Fyrus. Now he was probably up on Death Mountain, wrestling his Goron brothers.

Zelda nodded and made up her mind. She would visit Link after all. Closing the door to her balcony, she slipped on her shawl and went to the armory to alert the captain of the guards.

Cracking open the door, she looked around for Brandon. He was the captain of the guards, and a good one at that. She finally spotted him testing out a bow and arrow in the archery section of the room.

Smiling, she walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and came face to face with her. "Oh, hello Princess Zelda" he bowed. "What can I do for you?" he asked.

Zelda curtsied and looked at him. "I'm going to go head out to meet a friend. I won't be back for a few hours, so don't be worried about me. Anyway, please keep an eye on the castle while I am gone. Make sure that nothing terrible happens please" she commanded before turning around to leave.

Brandon nodded. "Yes, your majesty, of course. I'll get the best guards to escort you off the premises" he saluted.

Zelda shook her head. "No thank you, I won't need an escort this time. Just watch over the castle" she sighed. Brandon nodded at her. "Yes, princess."

Zelda smiled and walked out of the door. Walking down to the throne room, she looked at her mother's old throne. Zelda wondered if her mother would be proud of her. Maybe she's watching over me she thought.

Smiling and shaking her head, Zelda finally made it through the front castle doors. Running out into the plaza, she ran through the large doors away from the north side of Castle Town.

Zelda decided to take the east way out. Going down the stairs, she walked across Hyrule Field, making her way towards Faron Woods.

Walking across the field, Zelda came face to face with a bunch of Bokoblins. Screaming, she tried to run but they knocked her down with their clubs.

Zelda closed her eyes tightly, preparing for the painful blows, but they never came. Cracking an eye open, she saw all of the Bokoblins laying on the ground, rotting. Standing before her was none other than Link himself. Smiling, he helped her up.

"Are you alright?" Link asked. Zelda smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. When and how did you get here?" she asked.

"Oh, I was taking Epona for a morning ride when I saw a certain someone being attacked by a mob of Bokoblins. Naturally, I wasn't going to let a damsel in distress be hurt. Then I wouldn't live up to the title of being a hero" he smirked.

Zelda slapped his arm playfully. "Oh, stop it. I was doing perfectly fine before you came along. You just happened to help me, that's all." she joked.

"I don't think laying on the ground and screaming " HELP! HELP!" counts as doing perfectly fine" Link laughed. Zelda laughed and shook her head. "Ok, ok fine. You win"

"So anyway, what are you doing out here in Hyrule Field?" Link asked. Zelda looked at him and smiled. "Actually, I was about to visit you in Ordon Village but I guess you came to me"

Link smiled. "Oh, really? I was actually looking for you as well, but then-

"WAIIIITTT!" a voice interrupted Link. Zelda and Link turned towards the source of the voice with surprised expressions on their faces. The mailman ran up to Link and panted.

"I'm h-here t-to d-deliver a l-letter! F-from a mysterious s-stranger!" the mailman panted. Handing the letter over to Link, he made a strange noise before turning around and running back the way he came.

"Well that was strange. Anyway, I'd better see what this letter is about" Link said before opening it. Reading over it, his face suddenly turned pale. "Oh no! This is terrible!"

"What is it?" Zelda asked curiously. Handing the letter over to her, Zelda took it carefully. She sighed and began to read its contents:

_Dear Zelda and Link,_

_Hello. Did you miss me? Well, I certainly don't miss you two. Anyway, I just wanted you to know that I've made a new friend. A very strong friend that is now my ally. He works together with me. He is way stronger than me, and we will take over Hyrule before you know it. That's all. Enjoy your little play date while you still can, because we will come soon. Very soon. That is all_  
><em>Sincerely,<em>  
><em>Ganondorf<em>

Zelda stared at the letter. "Oh. That is bad" she frowned. Putting the letter back into the envelope, she put it in her pocket. "We best be on our guard at all time" she said looking around.

Link nodded. "Yeah, but don't worry. I'm sure we can easily defeat anything that gets in our way. Anyway, you want to head back to Ordon? I want to introduce you to some special people I know" Link said.

Zelda nodded. "Sure! Besides, I already alerted the authority that I would be out for a few hours."

Smiling, Link helped Zelda up on Epona. Sitting on her as well, Link nudged Epona forward, towards Ordon Village.

Smiling, Zelda looked at the beautiful view as they rode on. She was holding onto Link tightly, because she didn't want to fall off. Riding on, she noticed that the woods seemed very peaceful in the afternoon.

Suddenly, Epona stopped. They had arrived in the middle of the village, with everyone surrounding them. Hopping off, Link offered Zelda a hand. She took it and got off as well.

"Well, I'll be! The princess comes in all her glory and I have nothing decent to wear!" Fado exclaims, looking at his muddy clothes, obviously embarrassed. Mayor Bo shushed him and shook his head. "Don't embarrass us anymore as it is! llia, go put something nice on! Quick!" he ordered.

Zelda smiled. "That's quite alright mayor. I personally would wear something comfy than something nice and royal" she reassured. Mayor Bo relaxed and hugged his daughter. "Sorry llia, I kinda panicked there for a minute" he smiled. llia nodded and look at the princess with a mad glint in her eye.

Zelda shuddered and looked at llia. She didn't like the way that llia was looking at her. Still, she was there to meet them, so she wanted to make a good impression on llia.

"Hi there! I'm Princess Zelda. I've heard much about you llia" she smiled. llia pretended to perk up, and she put on a fake smile.

"Oh, hello Zelda. Really? Has Link been tell you all about me?" she asked. "Uh, yeah. He has been talking _all_ about you" she said.

"Actually, he hasn't talked about you much. I heard it all from Rusl when he visited me" Zelda muttered to herself. Looking up, she saw the llia wasn't paying attention to her anymore. Sighing with relief, she greeted all of the little children.

"WOAH! IT'S THE PRINCESS! SHE'S ACTUALLY HERE!" an excited voice rang from the crowd. Out stepped Talo, Malo, Beth, and Colin. They all smiled when they saw Zelda. "Um, hello princess. It's an honor to meet you" Colin shyly whispered. Zelda smiled and hugged the little guy. "It's an honor to meet you too. I've heard a lot of good things about _you_ the most" she smiled.

Colin looked up with a hopeful grin on his face. "Really?" he asked. "Yeah, I mean Link talks about_you_ all the time" she nodded. Colin looked very happy.

"Um, Link? When can I take that horseback riding lesson from you?" Colin shyly asked. Link grinned and hugged his buddy.

"Normally I would say right now, but I've got to show Zelda around, without any distractions. I want her to see what my home is like" Link said.

"Well alright. We'll leave you to it" Bo said before dismissing everyone and heading back home himself. After everyone was gone, Link and Zelda headed towards the ranch.

Arriving at the ranch, Link showed Zelda around. "So this is where I heard the goats in, this large barn" he smiled. "This is the pasture that I do it in as well. Epona is a really trusty and good steed." he bragged.

"So what's your personal best?" Zelda asked. Link smiled "Oh, my best time is about 18 seconds (true story, they were all in one place at the same time, and I happened to get them all in really quickly). Zelda stared at him in shock. "Wow, that's a good time".

"I know right?" Link smiled, raising an eyebrow. Turning around, he nudged Zelda towards the village. "There is something else I want to show you. Close your eyes".

Closing her eyes, Zelda felt nervous. Guiding her, Link took her down towards the water. He turned her towards the lake, and told her to open.

Opening her eyes, Zelda saw a beautiful lake filled with lots of fish. "Wow! Do you catch the fish for dinner?"

"Yeah, sometimes. Other times I just do it for trying to get a personal record" he explained.

"Anyway, I saved the best for last. My house" he smiled. "Come on!" he said before running towards his house.

Zelda rolled her eyes and followed him. Arriving at the house, there was a single ladder leading up to a wooden door. Climbing it, Link reached the top in no time.

Zelda got a hold of the ladder and began to slowly ascend. She made it up easily, and entered Link's house.

"I still don't understand why your house is in a tree. It makes no sense" she giggled. Link shrugged."I guess I just love nature a lot" he giggled. "Anyway, come up here. I gotta show you this view"

Zelda climbed both of the ladders and looked out of the window. Suddenly, she spotted Epona, trotting around Link's house. Zelda smiled and watched her. "She seems very playful and friendly" she said to Link.

"Yeah, Epona is a very playful horse. That's why she's my favorite horse" Link smiled. "Link, she's your _only_ horse. Remember that" Zelda smirked.

"Yeah, she's my favorite only horse. Oh! I almost forgot! You've _got_ to give me a tour of your castle sometime! I've always wondered what was in there" Link begged.

Zelda smiled. "Maybe later, hero. Right now, I probably should return to the castle anyway. It's been a few hours" she noticed. "Anyway, I'll see you later Link." she hugged him before turning to leave.

"Wait, can you visit me tomorrow as well?" Link asked. "I don't know, I might. I do promise that I'll see you soon though" Zelda smiled.

"Can I take you back home?" Link asked. "Sure, that would be a good plan. I don't want monsters to randomly attack me in the field again" Zelda said. They went outside and got back on Epona.

Riding in the field, Zelda and Link looked around. Hyrule Field looked extremely pretty at night, as twilight was just settling over. Smiling, Zelda looked at the castle they were headed towards. That was her home, the place that she had grown up in. She couldn't believe that it was still standing after all this chaos, but it was.

Arriving at Castle Town, Link walked with her to the front doors of the castle. Waving goodbye, Zelda entered the castle and went to the armory and told Brandon that she was home. After that, she entered her bed chamber and put on a nightgown. Getting into her bed, she slipped into a peaceful and long sleep.


	2. Losing Colin

**Written by Carrotawesome:**

Link sat, bothered, in the middle of the field. The Ordona goats lazily grazed around him, paying no attention to Link.  
>All day he had hoped Zelda would come.<br>It was only after she visited him yesterday had he realized how badly he missed her.

It was a quarter past twelve. Link had eaten a small lunch of goat cheese and bread with Fado a little while earlier, and he still remained a little hungry.  
>Link looked into the ranch house. Fado was cleaning up the stables.<p>

"Fado! Do you need any help?" Link stood up and shouted.

"No, my boy." Fado cried back. "I'll try to herd the goats a little later me self. Why don't you go play with Colin for a bit?"

"I was actually hoping to take Epona for a ride."

"Great! Colin can go with you!"

Link sighed.  
>He would have to take Colin.<br>Link took Llia's charm from the string on his neck and whistled the familiar tune.

Not long after, Epona emerged from the entrance of the ranch and settled near Link.

"Good girl." Link cooed softly as he massaged the soft hair on her neck.  
>He mounted her and rode into Ordon Village, scanning left and right for Colin's face.<p>

He found Colin crouched at a patch of grass near his own house.

"Colin?" Link called.  
>Colin immediately swiveled around and saw Link and Epona.<p>

"Look! I picked some mushrooms." Colin said, running up to Link.

"Nice." Link said. "You want to go for a ride? It won't be long."

"Yes! Yes!" Colin cried, jumping up and down and dropping the white mushrooms.

Link dismounted and helped Colin get on the front of Epona.  
>He then mounted Epona behind Colin and held the reins.<br>"Hold tight to the saddle."

"Okay." Colin said, eager to get moving.

Link dug his heel into the side of Epona gently and they were off, trotting slowly out of Ordon Village.

"Where are we going, Link?" Colin said. He had never ridden a horse out of Ordon Village.  
>"Somewhere fun. You'll see."<p>

They passed the man selling oil near his house, and Link waved.

"Hey, guy! You need more oil?" He cried after them.

"Nope! I got!" Link cried back.  
>They rode out into Hyrule Field, where Epona picked up the pace.<p>

Link bent over Colin protectively, who had his arms in the air, letting the wind brush over his blond hair.

They rode for a while, until they entered Lanayru Province.  
>Link stopped Epona near a little stream, and helped Colin off the horse.<br>He sat down and pulled out a hunk of cheese from his pouch.  
>"Here." Link offered.<p>

"_More_ goat cheese?" Colin complained, but took it gratefully.  
>They both sat and ate for a while, Epona grazing somewhere near.<p>

They finished, and Link wiped his hands on his dirty pants.  
>"Ready to keep going?"<p>

"Yep." Colin said.

Link whistled for Epona and he hefted Colin back onto the horse.  
>He got on as well and they kept riding.<p>

After a few minutes, they came to the familiar towering heights of the castle and Castle Town.

"We're going to Castle Town!?" Colin exclaimed.

"Yeah. And maybe even into the castle."

Colin bounded up and down excitedly, and Link had to calm him down.  
>Just as they neared the eastern entrance, there was a sudden explosion.<p>

Link and Colin were thrown off Epona, who galloped away swiftly.  
>The sky had turned from a light blue to a violent purple.<p>

"Colin! Colin! Are you alright?" Link took Colin into his arms, who opened his closed eyes.

"I'm - I'm okay. What happened?"

"I'm not sure." Link sat Colin in a tuft of grass and looked around.

The stone bridge to the town was collapsed, and Link heard a booming, unforgettable laugh.

"No…" Link muttered, his heart racing.

He watched as Ganondorf emerged from a billowing smoke cloud.  
>His cruel smile and deadly eyes nearly made Link faint, but he stood bravely for Colin.<p>

"It can't be real." Link whispered.

"Oh, yes, it's very real!" Ganondorf laughed again, approaching Link.

"Stop! I can't fight you now!" Link yelled.

"Sometimes, I don't think you understand my plan. That was my intention, to find you at a helpless moment."

Link reached over his shoulder to grab the hilt of his sword, but nothing was there.  
>He had left his sword and shield back home.<p>

Ganondorf noticed Link's face and chuckled.  
>"Not so mighty now, are you hero?"<p>

"I don't know why you're here." Link cried. "But you're going leave us alone now."

"I see. And as you puny Hylians might say… You and what army?"

"And THIS army!" A voice cried.

Ganondorf's body flew through the air and landed hard on the ground, where he lay paralyzed by a strange blue light.

Where Ganondorf once stood was Zelda, dressed in a long white robe.  
>Link picked up the shocked Colin and ran over to Zelda.<br>"I don't have my sword!" He cried.

"Well, do something! I won't be able to keep him down long!"  
>Her face looked pained, and her hands were up, forcing Ganondorf to stay on the ground.<p>

_What should I do_? Link thought.

"I'll tell the guards!" Link told Zelda.

"No! They don't stand a chance, and they'll take too long to get here!"

Ganondorf roared and jumped up, casting aside the blue light. He started running towards the three.

"Let's go!" Link yelled to Zelda, but she wouldn't move.  
>She sweated, and she barely held her eyes open.<br>"The – the spell. I'm drained." She panted.

Link put one arm around Zelda's waist, and started trudging forward, pulling Zelda and Colin at the same time.  
>He knew it would be the end for all of them, but he kept moving.<br>Link stole a glance backwards, and saw some sort of energy ball moving towards them.

Link immediately huddled Colin and Zelda in front of him, his back to the energy ball.

The pain hit Link like nothing he had ever felt before.  
>He was thrown forward, and Zelda fell down too.<p>

Link lay on the grass, unmoving.  
>He felt the taste of blood in his mouth.<br>Link tried to stand, but found he couldn't.

"Link…"  
>He heard either Colin or Zelda call his name. He wasn't sure – he was very dizzy and his senses were muddy.<p>

He tried to say something, but he vomited violently on the ground next to him, a mixture of goat cheese and blood spilling out.  
>Link was able to turn his head and found Zelda next to him, breathing heavily. Her dress stained red.<br>"Zelda." Link croaked.

Zelda's head turned and she saw Link next to her.  
>"Your friend…" She said. "Ganondorf has him."<p>

Link heard Ganondorf's voice echo.  
>"Do not underestimate me. I will soon be king, and my partner will serve as my heir."<p>

Link remembered the letter from the day before.  
>How odd. As if Ganondorf would simply tell him like that. Sure, he was a proud man, but to explain a plan beforehand… Link had trouble comprehending.<br>"Do not meddle with me. I will take this young one. He will be… useful."

There was utter silence afterward, and Link lay with Zelda on the ground for a long time.  
>Nobody came.<br>Link fell into a deep sleep, clutching Zelda's arm.

Link woke up a while later, still immensely tired. He looked around him.  
>He was on a large bed in a big hut lit by torches around the room. His clothes were fresh and smelled a little of sulfur.<p>

"Link!"  
>Zelda stood from her bed and limped over to Link.<br>She grabbed Link's face and gave him a long kiss.  
>Link moved the hair out of her face and kissed her back.<p>

"You're alright." She pulled away and sat on the edge of Link's bed.

"Are you okay?" Link croaked.

"Yes… just a little bruised. You took Ganondorf's blow."

Link nodded.  
>"I know. And Colin?"<p>

"I was just as disabled as you were, Link. I wasn't sure, but I saw Ganondorf pick up Colin. They vanished."

Link weakly nodded. He knew he should do or say something heroic, but his muscles were all sore and his right arm ached greatly.  
>"Where are we?" He asked.<p>

Just then, Darbus walked through the door.  
>"On Death Mountain, you are!"<br>He leaned against the wall and stared, making Zelda and Link feel uncomfortable.

"How did we get here?" Zelda asked.

"We had a goron stationed in Castle Town selling hot springwater. He claims to have seen you two outside in Hyrule Field after he finished. He rushed you two up here. And, well, Mr. Hero, it's our duty to help the knight of Hyrule in any way."  
>He awkwardly bowed.<p>

"Thank you, Darbus." Link said.

He nodded and kept staring at them with his purple, beady eyes.

"Uh, we'd like some time alone, if you don't mind." Link added.

"Of course." He nodded. "If you are hungry, we have food downstairs."  
>He left the room.<p>

Zelda looked at Link. "What do we do?"

"I don't know. But Ganondorf wasn't lying. He will try to become king. I don't have a clue what he'll do with Colin. Anyway, I don't have my sword or my shield."

Zelda nodded slowly.  
>She closed her eyes and pointed her head skyward.<br>"I think we need to make a prayer." She said.

Link agreed and closed his eyes as well.  
>He wished for fortune and good luck, and he wished for the safety of Colin.<br>When he was almost done, something unexpected happened.  
>He saw himself and another boy running together.<br>Except… Link didn't look exactly the same. It seemed like his familiar green clothing was larger, and his facial features were… a little different.  
>The image changed, and a picture of Zelda flashed into his mind.<br>Again, she didn't look the same. Her hair seemed to be blonder, and she looked to be a little younger. She was holding a harp.  
>Zelda spoke.<br>"You will be the guide to Clinn. His world is in great peril as of now."

Link opened his eyes, frightened.  
>What was that?<p>

He waited until Zelda stopped praying, then he spoke to her. He would tell her of the vision later.  
>"We'd better get going… but where?"<p>

Zelda shook her head softly.  
>"I don't know. But I'm sure of one thing. We've met with a rather terrible fate."<p>

**Note: Carrotawesome gave me full permission to publish this story.**


	3. The Legendary Sword of History

Zelda smiled and gently stroked Link's hair. "Link, why don't we get a little more rest? We had a big day, and getting lots of sleep will help us get stronger" she smiled.

Link nodded, and she limped back over to her bed. Climbing in, she closed her eyes slowly, and dreamt a weird dream.

Zelda stood at the spring of Eldin. The light spirit seemed to be calling her. She slowly walked over, wondering what he wanted.

As she approached, the light spirit spoke to her.

_Heroine of wisdom. Come speak to me in person_ he advised.

Zelda suddenly sat straight up and slipped her coat on. She put her boots back on, tied her hair in a braid and snuck out quietly, making sure not to make any noise.

When she climbed down Death Mountain, she reached the spring in no time. Eldin was still floating there, waiting for her.

Zelda walked up to him and smiled. "I'm here! What do you wish to tell me?" she asked.

_Heroine of wisdom. Great evil lurks ahead. Whatever you do, always stay true to the hero of time. You are in safe hands as long as you do so. To be able to prevail in the dark times to come, you must know a little about the history of Hyrule. Take this prophecy, and discover the truth on your own._

A piece of old parchment fluttered down and rested itself on the Palm on Zelda' s hand. She looked down and began to read it:

_Trapped in an object that conceals ancient artifacts of another place_

_Hidden beneath the filthy layers of dirt, which is a bit of a disgrace_

_Is a sword so epic and bold_

_That even today, it's legends are told_

_Created in an era filled with peace and love_

_Before an evil king reigned from above_

_He destroyed the land and used it for his own good_

_Instead of helping others, not that he knew he should_

_The people in that era suffered and cried_

_While he took great pleasure in his evil work and pride_

_The Goddesses overruled his power by a lot_

_But his descendants still remain unknown, left to rot_

_There is one that lives very far away_

_And if the hero of time doesn't do something about it, he will be there to stay_

Zelda nodded and snuck back up to the house. When she got there, she noticed that Link was gone. Oh no! She panicked and quickly grabbed her coat to head out again.

Just as she was dashing out, she ran right smack into the man in question. Zelda fell over, and Link caught her.

"Uh... sorry Zelda" he smiled before lifting her up. "Where did you go?" he asked.

"Well, I had a dream and Eldin told me to come to him so I did and I got this prophecy and now I want to show you it" Zelda smiled. She handed him the prophecy, and studied his face.

As Link read it he seemed to have a shocked expression on his face. Turning to Zelda, he bit his lip. "Zelda, this sounds scary. We've got to do this!" he nodded.

Zelda nodded and looked at the prophecy again. "This is weird. It doesn't tell us where to go!" She frowned. Link shook his head. "I know exactly where to go. Follow me" he smirked. Getting up on Epona again, they raced onward to a new undiscovered area.

Galloping towards home, Link suddenly turned and took the path to the west side of Castle Town. Dragging Zelda and Epona along, he managed to get to the east side with very little trouble.

Taking Epona through the field, he soon reached Hidden Village. Suddenly, a little pathway cleared, showing them the way.

Link took the path and ended up in a huge weird looking grove. Standing in the middle of the grove was a huge door, possibly leading to something.

Suddenly, all the light spirits gathered in front of them. Wielding their powers, they turned the door into a mirror.

Zelda gasped in astonishment, and Link protectively put his hand on his sword. The light spirits all expanded the mirror, and turned towards them to explain.

_"Hero of time and heroine of wisdom. What you are about to witness here is something very extraordinary. The door that you saw was actually not a door at all, but a mirror in disguise. This mirror is a reflection of the world before Hyrule. Enter it and witness the tragic event to take place in history."_

Zelda swallowed nervously and looked at Link. "Are you up for the challenge, hero?" she smirked. Link raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Of course I am, I was born ready! What about you, princess?" he responded.

"I...I'm scared Link" she mumbled quietly. Link looked at her with shock in his eyes.

"So let me get this straight. You single handedly shot light arrows in Ganondorf's back riding full speed on a horse in the middle of the night and now you're scared?" he teased.

Zelda hit him playfully on the arm. "Hey, you can't be talking mister! What about the time when you were scared to fight Zant? Ah! No NO! Don't make me fight Zant, NO! He's too scary, I don't want to!" she stuck out her tongue.

Link smirked and leaned very close to Zelda, he nearly kissed her but at the last second, he leaned back, blushing.

"Uh, we should probably go in now.." he suggested. Zelda nodded and turned towards the mirror.

Stepping through the mirror, Zelda feel straight down onto the grass. Except, she didn't land in grass. She landed in ashes, that were spread all around.

Zelda suddenly fell as Link fell onto her. He rolled off and apologized.

"Sorry Zelda. I wonder, where are we, and how exactly do we get back?" he curiously asked. Zelda looked around, and her eyes widened. "I have no idea. One thing's for sure though, we've got to find answers. Answers regarding the prophecy" she smirked.

Link nodded. "Of course. There's only one question now. Where do we start?"

Zelda looked at him with a serious expression. "We gotta head towards the castle. Obviously, there is royalty living there. Besides, what could go wrong?" she nervously smiled.

Nodding, Link and Zelda stood up and brushed themselves off. Running towards the castle, they realized that everything seemed so peaceful.

Arriving into the town next to the castle, Link and Zelda accidentally bumped into someone. "Hey, watch it!" they angrily cried out, while running away from them.

Looking startled, Zelda realized something. The people there could notice them! If they ruptured the past, they could destroy the future! Pulling Link over to the side, Zelda started running towards a dark alleyway.

"W-what is it, Zelda?" Link asked while looking around curiously. "Link, if we disturb anything then the future won't be the same!" she exclaimed, sounding very worried.

**Colin's POV**

Meanwhile in the modern day, a young blonde boy was laying down on a cold ground. It was pitched black dark and he had no idea where he was.

Colin looked around, but he couldn't see anything. Groaning, he rubbed his head, which was a bit bloody from Ganondorf's strong weapon.

Thinking about Link, Colin gulped, feeling very guilty. If he hadn't asked Link to take him, Link would've been prepared, and none of this would have ever happened.

Colin also noticed the way that Link seemed kind of annoyed that he had to let him tag along to see Zelda. He sensed that Link wanted to visit Zelda on his own.

Putting his head down in shame, Colin shed a single tear. He put his head up and shook his head.

"No, Link is my friend, no matter what. He's saved my life once and he will do it again. Besides, I like Zelda. She's a good person and I would like to remain friends with both of them" he muttered determinedly.

Standing up, he gave a loud scream. Colin was in great pain, his legs and arms had terrible scars all over them. He groaned and slowly slid back down the wall.

Looking at his wrist, he tried to put his hand to his face. He felt a force preventing him from doing that. Feeling around, he realized that he was chained as well.

Sighing, Colin remembered the good times that he had before they were captured. All those times that he watched Link in astonishment. He thought that Link was the best thing ever. He was so heroic, strong, brave, kind, noble, and full of happiness. Colin looked up to him as a role model.

"One day, I'll be just like him. Traveling the world on horseback, meeting lots of different people and going on adventures. I wanna be just like Link!" he smiled.

Holding onto that thought, Colin fell into an light slumber.

**Zelda's POV**

Link looked at her with wide eyes. "Oh... ok. Well, let's just watch and see what happens" he said quietly. Zelda nodded and peeked around the corner.

Suddenly, they heard a fanfare of trumpets. The front doors to the castle were opened, and out stepped an elderly king, queen, and a young looking princess.

Zelda gasped. That must be the royal family! She knew that she was a descendant of them, and she smiled while watching her ancestors.

There was something very wrong though. Instead of looking regal and calm, they all looked worried. Suddenly, Zelda heard a thundering of hooves approaching closer to the castle.

Turning to the noise, Zelda saw a tall mysterious man on horseback. Gasping, she realized that this must be a very dark and evil person.

The mysterious man chuckled and dismounted his horse. Coming closer, Zelda could see what exactly he was wearing.

He had a long flowing black cape, and he wore pure black like a ninja. He wore a mask, and a pair of boots. The royal family gasped and shook a little bit.

"Excuse me, but are you the King Richard? My name is Isaac, and I have some revenge to pay for my brother" he smirked evilly.

King Richard shook his head, trying not to look worried. "I have no idea what you're talking about, but you'd better get out of here before I call the guards!" he shouted. Isaac tossed back his head and laughed evilly.

"Are you trying to scare me?" he asked, crossing his arms. "It's not working, whatever you're trying to do" he smirked.

King Richard gulped and took a step back. Isaac smirked and got closer. Suddenly, Isaac attacked King Richard with a club. King Richard screamed in pain, and tried to flee.

The queen and princess screamed as well, and they fled inside the castle.

Isaac grabbed King Richard and pushed him to the ground. Putting his foot on his back, Isaac raised his club to make the final fatal strike.

There was a loud clunk as the king slowly closed his eyes. Eventually, his chest stopped moving and Isaac knew that he was dead.

Laughing and celebrating in victory, Isaac turned towards the crowd. "Now you will all bow down to me! Anyone who objects will be severely punished!" he stated.

Suddenly, the Light Spirits showed up. Using their power, they fast forwarded everything to a year later.

Link and Zelda watched as the world was slowly destroyed. Everything was burned down, and reduced to ashes. Isaac stood outside on the balcony, laughing as he watched everyone construct his statue. Suddenly, Isaac was thrown off of his balcony. Standing in his place was a young man that had blonde hair and green eyes. He was cloaked in green, he wore a green hat, and he carried a long and powerful sword.

Jumping off the balcony, the hero fought with Isaac until he overpowered him. Raising his sword, the hero striked the sword down right into Isaac's heart.

Groaning, Isaac slowly closed his eyes. The hero stepped off of him and mysteriously went off.

Link gasped as he watched the hero go. Zelda knew that the hero had to be related to him.

Suddenly, Zelda realized something. The hero had left his sword. As the citizens took in what just happened, one rushed forward and pulled the sword out of Isaac's chest.

The people gasped and stared at the sword. Communicating, they decided to bury the sword and put it in a rock. Sliding it in between a slightly cracked rock, they dug a large hole and buried it. Digging it back up, they smoothed out the surface. Leaving it, the people rejoiced in their new victory. The queen and princess actually lived, and they continued the royal line.

Suddenly, Link and Zelda returned to the other side of the mirror. Gasping, they looked around for the Light Spirits. Spotting them, they walked towards them.

"We must get that sword!" Link exclaimed determinedly. Zelda nodded and agreed. "I think I know exactly where it is" she smiled.

The Light Spirits shook their heads and began to speak:

_"No heroes, you do not know where the sword is. Actually, it is located right next to the mirror. This is where the old castle used to stand._

Using their magic, the Light Spirits dug the ground up. An old dusty rock was found underneath the dirt. Raising it out, Link tried to pry it open, but it was tightly shut.

"Oh, I get it. A bomb will do the trick!" he suggested. Zelda shook her head. "No Link! That'll only blow it up!"

_"Actually, the hero is right. The sword is indestructible, so it can't be destroyed. It was created for the hero to save his world"_ the Light Spirits mentioned.

Link smiled and pulled out a bomb. Putting it near the rock, he grabbed Zelda and ran a good distance.

After the bomb exploded, the rock cracked open in half, revealing a sword wedged in between two little rocks. Digging it out, Link held it by the hilt and examined it, swinging it around in the process.

"Yeah, I like it" he smiled." The Light Heroes looked very serious as they spoke again:

_"Hero of time, you must promise to take good care of that sword. It is the Sword of History, and it is also the only thing that can slay the beast that is heading your way, just like in history. Take good care of it and you will definitely prevail"_

Link smiled. "Alright, I got it. Let's go, Zelda! I got to test this new sword out on Ganondorf!" he smiled.

Sighing, Zelda followed him out, heading back to where Epona was. When they both mounted, Link took off towards the castle.

When he arrived, Zelda noticed something strange. The castle was surrounded by a dark barrier. Entering the front palace, they suddenly came face to face with Ganondorf.

"Ah, there you kids are! I've been waiting for you, NOT! Haha! What's wrong, do ya miss your little friend? Well, he's fine. In fact, I have a friend that I want you to meet!" Ganondorf sarcastically smirked. "I'm sure that you will love him!"

Turning the knob, Ganondorf pushed open the door. Sitting on Zelda's father's throne was a mysterious looking man. He wore pure black like a ninja as well, and he had a mask. He had a black flowing cape, and black boots with a red trim. He had red looking eyes, which bore right into your soul.

Gasping, Zelda suddenly realized that he had a big resemblance to Isaac. He stood up and bowed as they entered the castle.

Speaking in a raspy voice, he turned towards Zelda. 'Ah, hello princess. You've never heard of me, but I've heard much about you" he smirked coming over to her. Gently stroking her cheek, he looked straight into her eyes. "It's a shame that a girl with a pretty face like yours has to join the good side. Why not join the evil side?" he asked.

Standing back, he then turned to Link with a cold stare in his eyes. "Ah.. hello hero. I'm Phantom. Maybe you've heard of me? Anyway, I've got to go prepare for the major battle. Come on Ganondorf, let's go leave these kids alone. Maybe they'll bribe us to let them win. HA!" he laughed coldly as he walked away.

Link looked at Zelda and smirked. "Well at least now we can dechiper the prophecy. "Alright, let's do it" she nodded.

_Trapped in an object that conceals ancient artifacts of another place_

"The sword was trapped in that rock, which is very old"

_Hidden beneath the filthy layers of dirt, which is a bit of a disgrace_

"It was hidden in the dirt"

_Is a sword so epic and bold_

"It was a sword"

_That even today, it's legends are told_

"I hear people talk about it all the time, but now we actually have it!"

_Created in an era filled with peace and love_

"This is when King Richard ruled the land, probably.

_Before an evil king reigned from above_

"Isaac"

_He destroyed the land and used it for his own good_

"Isaac"

_Instead of helping others, not that he knew he should_

"He made them build a statue of himself!"

_The people in that era suffered and cried_

"They were suffering and poor

_While he took great pleasure in his evil work and pride_

_The Goddesses overruled his power by a lot_

The Goddesses sent the hero and helped him destory Isaac"

_But his descendants still remain unknown, left to rot_

"His descendants are unknown, but there is at least one surviving one"

_There is one that lives very far away_

"Phantom. He lives very far away, but he came here to help Ganon"

_And if the hero of time doesn't do something about it, he will be there to stay_

"If we don't destroy him, he will reign just like Isaac did. It's a continuous circle, and it's going to take someone strong like us to defeat him once and for all."

Link concluded and smiled and Zelda. They sat their in silence for a minute before Zelda sighed and started to snore.

Looking over at her, Link realized that she had fallen asleep. Smiling, he picked her up and helped her get on Epona. Hopping on himself, he rode towards Ordon Village to let her sleep, as well as himself.

When he arrived, he gently put her down on the bed and layed next to her. Closing his eyes, he fell into a deep sleep, exhausted from the days events.


	4. Castle Siege

"Mr. Link! Mr. LIIIIIIIIIINK!"

Link awoke to an annoying voice outside his home.  
>He stumbled out of bed and looked out the small window.<br>The postman waited outside, jumping up and down and waving a letter.  
>Link opened the window.<br>"Leave me alone! Isn't it a bit early for mail?"

The postman decided to throw the letter to Link. It hit him in the forehead and Link picked it up, agitated.

"For Princess Zelda!" The postman yelled.

"Okay… Wait, how did you know I was with Zelda?" Link asked.

"Mr. Brandon told me!"  
>He ran off out of Ordon Village with his annoying little <em>hueh hueh hueh<em> pant of his.

Link closed the window and stumbled back to his bed where Zelda lay, now awake.  
>"Who was that?" She asked.<p>

"Postman. Here you go." Link handed her the letter and flopped back down under his goatskin blanket.

"No…" Link heard Zelda murmur.  
>Zelda jumped out of bed and started running around the small and stuffed house in her undershirt.<br>She finally came back to Link and shook him awake.  
>Link opened his eyes.<br>"Mmm. G'morning."

"Link! Where do you keep your parchment? I need to write a letter."

"Why?" Link said and sat up on his bed.

"Ganon and Phantom have taken over Hyrule Castle."

"Oh no. We have to go."  
>Link stood up, but Zelda placed a hand on his bare chest and pushed him down again.<br>"No. Link, you can see, we're obviously not ready yet. We managed to defeat Ganondorf alone, and that was with Midna's help. Plunging into battle with Phantom and Ganon together… we need a plan first."

"Okay then." Link said, pulling on a white shirt and his green tunic over it. "What should we do?"

"Brandon sent this to me. He's one of my guards. Supposedly, he and the other Castle Town residents took refuge in the Snowpeak Ruins."

"You're kidding. How in Din's name did they get there?" Link secured his Hylian shield to his back and jumped around, trying to get his pants on.

"Don't know. The Zoras probably helped them. I need to talk to Brandon."

"Now?" Link said.

"Yes! Link, we can't let Phantom and Ganon expand their influence any further. If we don't do anything, then our kingdom will crumble. Just like Isaac did before."

Link picked up his newly gotten sword. It was beautiful. The hilt was a brilliant but serene green. A blue gem was encrusted in the middle, and more blue laced around the handle. The blade was long and sharp.  
>Link looked over his shoulder at the Master Sword. The familiar blue shine gave him a feeling of melancholy, but he knew he would have to take this new sword in order to vanquish Phantom.<p>

Link opened the door and they climbed down the ladder. Zelda was in a basic white dress. She left her crown in Link's house, but she had her hair tied back.  
>She looked very different without her crown. She seemed more ordinary, like another townsfolk.<br>Link whistled Epona's song on Llia's charm, and Epona appeared from Ordon Ranch.

"That's a very nice instrument you have." Zelda said, pointing to the charm.

"It is. Llia gave it to me."

"And this Llia girl… have you ever been involved in some sort of… relationship?"  
>She asked, curious and a little embarrassed.<p>

"No." Link laughed.

They mounted Epona and Zelda held tight to Link's waist.  
>They were off, cruising through Hyrule Field towards Zora's Domain.<br>Regularly, Link would have simply warped there with Midna's help, but she was gone now.  
>Link missed her a lot. He wondered how she was doing, and how her kingdom and people fared.<br>Link promised to try to visit her someday.

They passed Hyrule Castle. There was no big yellow diamond surrounding it, however it looked dark and menacing. Somebody would have to be a complete fool to go in.  
>They reached Lake Hylia, and they dismounted.<p>

Link walked over to Fyer, the man who ran the cannon game.  
>"Hey Fyer."<p>

"Link! Long time no see! And who's that?" Fyer peered over Link's shoulder.

"Oh, your majesty! I apologize for not being prepared for your visit!" He bent over awkwardly, staring at his shoes.

"It's alright." Zelda said. "What are we doing here?" She whispered into Link's ear.

"Fyer. We need to get to the top of Zora's Domain. Can you shoot us up there?"

"For the princess and her boyfriend, anything!"

Link grinned uncomfortably as Fyer moves aside.  
>"Link, I know you've done this, but you have to be careful, Princess Zelda. Just grab Link's body. Like you usually do."<p>

"Fyer!" Link said, harshly.

"Sorry, sorry."

Zelda and Link got into the cannon and Fyer turned the crank.  
>They were shot into the air, flying madly as they landed with a grunt in the water.<p>

Link helped Zelda up out of the pool and were met by Prince Ralis, sitting on his throne.  
>Ralis ignored Link and marveled at the sight of Zelda.<br>"My beautiful queen! How are you today? Your arrival was unexpected, but you are most welcome here." He kissed her hand.

"Thank you, kindest Prince Ralis. Though we are looking for my people. Did they pass through here a while before?"

"Oh yes, my dear princess. A mob of them, just came in and traveled towards the snowpeak. Quite dangerous. They didn't even have coats."

"I see. Thank you, Prince Ralis. We will be on our way."

"Oh, no no no no no!" Ralis exclaimed, following us down the coral-blue hall.  
>"Please, let us assist you. Most of our Zoras are in Lake Hylia right now, but be will be happy to supply you with Godondos."<p>

"Godondos?" Link said, turning around.

"Indeed. They will be at the exit. If there's anything at all you wish, do not hesitate to ask."

"Thank you. Goodbye."

Zelda and Link rushed down the hall and came to the lower level of Zora's Domain, where most of the Zoras lazily swam around. They ran down to the hallway that lead to Snowpeak.  
>A guard greeted them and guided them down the hallway until they arrived to the freezing, icy, snow.<br>Two creatures resembling large lizards with saddles stood impatiently in the snow. They had short legs, so they were close to the ground. Their tongues stuck out, and they were hissing.  
>"Here you go!" The tall Zora guard lifted Zelda up with his strengthened arms and sat her down on top of one of the Godondos.<br>The Zora was about to lift Link up, but he refused.  
>He awkwardly shot one leg over the side and snuggled down. The Godongo hissed again and jerked his head back.<p>

"Yeah, don't push them too hard. They know where to go; just let them carry you and don't put up a fight."

"Got it." Link said.

The guard poked the Godongos in the rear with his trident, and they were off through the snow, panting and leaping.  
>Link had to keep his body close to the Godongo's back, or he would fall. He couldn't turn to see if Zelda was beside him, because of the blizzard. Actually, Link wasn't able to see anything save streaks of white.<br>He closed his eyes and pressed his face to the scaly back, hoping for Zelda's safety.  
>Link rode mightily through the snow, gracefully bounding from mound to mound. He almost tumbled into the snow once, but he managed to grab on.<p>

They stopped with a sudden halt and the Godongo shrilled furiously. Link was thrown off and rolled a few feet in the deep snow. He stood up and tried to wipe all the snow from his face. Link looked around.  
>The Godongo lay in the snow, a deep incise on the side of its face. Blood spilled out, staining the snow a reddish purple.<br>Link looked around more, searching for anything dangerous, but there was absolutely nothing. The wind howled and pushed more snow into Link's face, which he tried to cover. "Zelda!" He echoed, but his voice was lost. There was no response except the wind.  
>"No, no, no." Link muttered under his breath. He had no idea how far he was from the ruins, or how to get there.<br>He began fumbling forward, step by step. Link heard a quick patter of footsteps. He stopped and turned around. Nothing.

He turned around again and continued his trek. He knew something wasn't right.

Link was pushed forward into the snow and felt something sharp dig into his skin.  
>He managed to turn around and saw a snow wolf pinning him to the ground, snapping at his face.<br>Link pushed him off and drew his green sword and shield. He heard another wolf coming at him from behind, and he turned at the last second and thrashed it with his shield. It was thrown aside and limped off, whimpering.  
>He was met by another wolf, but he side-stepped it easily and lunged forward, stabbing it in its hind leg.<br>Link slashed another wolf as it ran by.  
>Link realized he had only killed a fraction of them, and there were more than twenty slowly advancing towards him.<br>Link backed away and cursed.  
>As the first one pounced, Link heard a booming voice and all the wolves scattered.<br>"YAHOOEY!"

A giant blue hand reached out and grabbed Link, and they slid at an amazing speed through the snow. Link tried to look up to identify the rescuer, but he was pretty sure he already knew who it was.

They reached the front of the mansion and Yeto released him, kicking the small ice sled away.  
>"Hello friend! Long time I see you not." Yeto said with a smile.<p>

"Yeah. Good to see you too. Thank you back there."

"No problems, yah. I was collecting fruit, see?"  
>He held up some white round berries.<p>

"Great. So how's Yeta doing?" Link said, heading towards the mansion with Yeto.

"Oh, she very good. Ever since mirror gone, she feel better."

"That's good. Has Zelda come already?"

"Who?"

"A girl about my age. She might have came riding on a four-legged beast."

He shook his head.  
>"I do not know. I collect fruit, yah?"<p>

Link ignored him and entered the mansion. He would have to wait for her inside.  
>Link was met with an uproar of laughs and voices as he stepped into the hall.<br>It was no longer broken pieces of furniture and paintings, and there was no dust. The walls were painted a light yellow, and a brilliant chandelier hung in the middle of the ceiling.  
>The floor was lined with red carpet. Deku wood tables stood around the room.<p>

"Yah, we do some renovating while you away." Yeto said, placing the white fruit on one of the tables. "Sorry, but this is not best time for us. People come in and ask to stay before."

"Yes, yes, that's what I came for!" Link exclaimed.

"Oh. They in next room." Yeto pointed at the far door. "I be with you soon."

Link entered the room, this one even larger than the first.  
>There were about five long tables in the room. Link could see the people from Castle Town sitting down and bellowing with laughter, ripping off chunks of meat or stuffing white fruit into their mouths. Yeta hurriedly rushed around the room, attending to the peoples' needs.<br>Link walked over to Yeta and put a hand on her shoulder.  
>He had a flashback of the day she turned into Blizzetta, and her eyes gleamed red for protection of the mirror. But that was destroyed now. Link shook the thought away and Yeta turned around.<br>"Oh, hello Link! I very busy, sorry. We find another time to catch up?"

"Good idea. In the meantime, can you tell me if Zelda or Brandon are here?"

She shook her head.  
>"Zelda, I know not. But I see a big tough guy come in here acting like leader. I think his name Brandon."<p>

"Do you know where he is?" Link asked.

"He stand up with other girl and go into bathroom." She showed Link the way to the bathroom.  
>Link hoped Brandon wasn't doing what Link thought he might be doing.<p>

He opened the door and found Zelda and Brandon in the middle of a heated discussion. Brandon was sitting on the toilet seat cover, and Zelda was leaning against the wall.  
>They both looked over at Link when he entered.<br>"Link!" Zelda ran over and hugged Link.  
>"What took you? You look hurt." She said, inspecting him.<p>

"I'm fine." Link said. "I got held up on the way, but now I'm here. What's up? Is this Brandon?"

"That's Mr. Chevalier to you, kid." Brandon said, frowning.

"Brandon! Do you not know who this is?"

Brandon's clueless face gave Zelda his answer.

"Whatever." Zelda said. "Brandon, get on with your story."

Link slipped a hand around Zelda's waist and listened to Brandon.

"It was maybe, about, a quarter to midnight. I was on patrol outside the castle doors. Most of the other guards were half asleep. Anyway, I noticed smoke coming out of one of the houses in the western part of Castle Town. I ordered the guards under my regiment to come with me. We got there, and the house was completely burned down. The resident living inside was fine, but shaken. We tried to get her to speak, but all she told us was to 'beware the kings of fate.' Right after, one of my guards was shot down. There was an arrow in his back. I turned around and saw it came from the castle wall. There was a Darknut with a bow. You know, those big black-clad armored guys with huge swords? There were about ten of them. I called for an immediate evacuation of the town. People fled everywhere. We ran as a group down the Lake Hylia and were able to enter Zora's Domain. We asked to stay there, but they refused. We took refuge here. Been here for almost a day now."

"A Darknut?" Zelda gasped. "There haven't been any of those since…"

"Ganondorf took over." Link finished.

"Brandon, you're absolutely sure everyone from Castle Town is here?"

"No. But I did my best to round them all up."

"Okay. Brandon, I need you to make sure everyone stays here a little longer."

"Yeah, I don't have a problem with that. But I don't know how long the food supply is going to last. My men have been eating like crazy."

"Brandon. I give you my fullest blessings. Thank you for taking care of the people of Hyrule. Let's go, Link."

Zelda grabbed Link's arm and took him out of the bathroom. They walked out of the mansion into the snow.

"What are we going to do now?" Link asked.

"We don't posses the power to fight Ganondorf and Phantom."

"Obviously. So where are we going?"

Zelda paused for a moment before answering.  
>"To seek assistance from the Twilight Princess."<p> 


	5. The Twilight Princess

"Zelda, how are we going to get to Midna? The Mirror of Twilight was shattered when she returned home that day. Remember?" Link sighed.

Zelda pondered this for a moment. "Well, I'm sure the Sages can help us find a way" she suggested. "First though, we must know how to get to the Gerudo Desert. I know you had a map when Midna was around, but it seems that it has disappeared since then."

Link gasped and checked his pockets, but the map wasn't there. He looked at Zelda with wide eyes. "I know that we can get there by cannon, but I really don't feel like having that experience again. There has to be another way"

"Well, Brandon might have a map. Let me go check" Zelda suggested as she started walking back to the castle. Suddenly, Zelda felt a grip on her arm.

Turning around, Zelda looked at Link with a confused expression on her face. "What is it, Link?"

"Zelda, I don't trust Brandon. I mean, he seems like he is hiding something. A big secret that could hurt you. I don't want that to happen. Let me go in instead. Besides, I don't like the way he talks to me" Link softly growled.

As much as Zelda wanted to protest, Link simply refused to let her go inside. He made sure that his sword was still there and marched back across the snow.

Zelda stood there, not knowing what to do. Crossing her arms, she shivered as a strong breeze blew by.

Meanwhile, Link closed the door and marched straight up to Brandon. "Hey Brandon, do you have a map we could use? It seems that I have misplaced mine, and Zelda thought that since you were very responsible, you would have one at all times" he calmly said.

Brandon glared at Link and pushed him forcefully against the wall. "I told you to call me Mr. Chevalier" he said in a threatening tone.

Link leaned forward and glared back at him. "I don't know what kind of game your playing, but I'd advise that you stop. My name is Link. Link, the hero of time, the savior of Hyrule. I've saved your people countless times, mister. I advise that you show some respect. If you don't, I'll just tell Zelda and she'll punish you. So don't ever do that again, you got it?"

Brandon grasped one hand tightly around Link's neck. "I don't care if you're the king of Hyrule! NOBODY has ever dared to threaten me, and nobody will. Besides, you don't know a thing about Zelda! She doesn't deserve a arrogant brat like you."

Link choked a little bit and leaned back. Pulling out his sword, he pointed it at Brandon's neck and roughly pushed him against the wall. "Actually, I know lots of things about Zelda. One of them is that she hired the worst guard to be her protector. Every time something goes wrong, your men always seem to wimp out. Now tell me, is that what a good leader does? I've saved her many times and you've done nothing, so I'd suggest that you get out. Now!"

Brandon crossed his arms. "You don't have the authority to boss me around like that" he said through gritted teeth.

Link rolled his eyes. "What makes you say that? I have about as much authority as you do. Besides, I have a sword that could kill you in mere seconds if you try any funny business" he snapped.

Brandon growled and pulled out his own sword. He raised his sword to strike, and it clashed with Link's sword. The soldiers watched with interest while dining to their hearts content. Suddenly, Brandon kicked Link in the chest and sliced a clean cut down his cheek.

Link grunted, but he had felt pain before. He did a spin attack, which Brandon barely missed. Back flipping, Link took a hard swing at Brandon's leg. Screaming in pain, Brandon fell over.

Putting his foot on Brandon's chest, Link pushed him down roughly. Pointing his sword at Brandon's chest, he smiled with contempt. "Surrender" Link growled.

It wasn't over yet though. As Link prepared to walk away, he felt a strong force knock him to the ground. Brandon had kicked him in the back very roughly. Brandon grabbed him and flipped him over, kicking him very roughly in the stomach. Groaning, Link tried to fight back but found that he couldn't. Just as he was about to surrender, he felt a strong force push Brandon off.

"BRANDON, WHAT IN THE NAME OF HYRULE ARE YOU DOING?" Zelda shouted angrily. Smiling, Link looked up at his princess. Brandon swallowed and bowed. "Zelda, what are you doing in here?" he nervously asked.

"Well, I stood there waiting for Link in the freezing cold but he never came out so I decided to investigate. I come in and see Brandon wrestling Link! What in Hyrule is that about?!"

Brandon shook his head. "Ah, princess, we were just rough- housing. You know how men can be."

Link looked at Brandon with a disgusted face for a minute, but decided that he should play along anyway. "Yeah, we were just playing around" he joked.

Zelda narrowed her eyes, but only for a second. "Oh, alright then. Come on Link, let's go" she said before grabbing his hand.

Brandon stepped in, blocking the path to the door. "Wait! Can I speak to you in private, Link?"

Link crossed his arms and looked at Zelda. "Are you ok with this?"

Zelda nodded. "Yeah, go ahead. I'll just wait a little bit longer."

Link followed Brandon into another room. Closing the door, Brandon turned to him.

"Alright, listen up mister. I don't care if you're the supreme ruler of this world. I saw the way you had your arm around Zelda's waist earlier, and I find that highly unacceptable. I love Zelda very much and I'd appreciate it if you'd back off, You know, stop being so romantic towards her. That's all I wanted to say. Oh, and not a word of this to Zelda, I don't want her to worry about this" Brandon growled.

Link smirked. 'I don't think that that's a problem. See, Zelda kissed me when we were in Death Mountain so she loves me. I had injuries due to fighting Ganondorf earlier, and she came to my rescue. She's the only princess for me."

"Are you sure that she wasn't just being sympathetic? I mean, she has a good heart, and she loves to help anyone in need" Brandon suggested.

"I-I don't know" Link admitted. Feeling doubtful, he left the room in search of Zelda.

When he opened the door, he came face to face with Zelda herself. "Zelda, wre you...eavesdropping?" he smirked.

"Well yeah. I mean, I was curious to know what you and Brandon were talking about" she admitted.

Link blushed. "Did you hear any of that?"

"Oh, no. What were you talking about? Brandon usually never wants to talk in private unless he is serious" Zelda said.

'Oh it was nothing important. He just wanted to um make sure that uh he knew where we were going" Link lied.

Zelda raised an eyebrow. "I don't believe that, Link. Something fishy is going on and I want to know what it is. Crossing her arms, she leaned in close to Link, causing him to blush.

"Zelda, we don't have time for this. We got to go see Midna and uh...yeah..." Link said as he got really quiet.

Rolling her eyes, Zelda grabbed Link's hand and walked out of the castle.

Brandon came outside searching for Zelda. 'Wait! You'll need a map to get there, won't you?" he asked. Zelda turned around. "Yeah, I forgot about that". Handing her the map, Brandon got a little too close and snuck a quick kiss on her cheek.

Link suddenly grabbed Zelda's arm and pulled her back to him. "Thanks for the map, but we got it from here" he said. Putting the map into his pocket, he then proceeded to drag Zelda along quickly.

"Link, could you please let go of me?" Zelda asked very politely. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't rip my arm off" she smirked.

"Sorry, it's just, I don't like Brandon" Link softly growled. "I don't understand why he is the leader of the army."

"Brandon has had a difficult life, Link. Like him or not, he makes an amazing leader, and he has never failed to serve me" Zelda pointed out.

Link gave her a little glare, but he said nothing more.

After a lot of walking, they finally reached Zora's Domain. They walked through the see-through hallways that waterfalls flowed from and arrived at Hyrule Field.

Whistling for Epona, Link and Zelda waited for the beautiful palomino mare to show up. After waiting for a while, Zelda began to worry. "Link, where did Epona go?" she asked.

"I have absolutely no idea" Link admitted. Picking up his horse caller, he tried again with no luck.

"I guess we'll just head to the- Link was interrupted as they heard a loud thundering noise and a large laugh. Looking into the distance, they saw Epona coming towards them at a full gallop with llia on her back.

"What in the name of Din is going on?" Link asked.

llia laughed and dismounted Epona. Running up to Link, she threw her arms around him. "Hi Linky! I washed Epona for you!" she smiled.

"Linky?" Zelda whispered to him. "Why does she call you that? It makes you sound girly" she giggled.

Link blushed feeling embarrassed "Hey, I think the nickname is kind of cute. I mean, she's always called me that" he defensively said.

llia stood there with her arms crossed, looking impatient. "Are you going to take me for a ride or what?" she asked.

Link shook his head. ""No, sorry llia. I've got to go have a meeting with a special friend and discuss a really big problem."

"Yeah, and we should probably go now. We still don't know the path to there, and we're running out of time" Zelda said.

"Oh, ok we'll I'll leave you to it" llia replied. Taking her bag with her, she left Hyrule Field and headed towards home.

Hopping on Epona, Link helped Zelda up. Zelda wrapped her arms around Link as they galloped off towards Lake Hylia.

Arriving at the lake, Link saw a rock blocking off a path that he had never noticed before.

"Allow me, ladies" he smiled as he put a bomb down and ran a couple of feet away. As the bomb exploded, the path was cleared and they could go through. Link smirked and got on Epona again.

Riding through the tunnel, they arrived at the desert. Link smiled and dismounted, helping Zelda dismount too.

"As much as I want to ride Epona in the desert, it is a little too hard for her with all this sand. I could carry you if you wanted. We're almost to the place that we last saw Midna" Link offered.  
>"No thanks, I can walk on my own" Zelda said.<p>

They walked for a while cautiously. Link had his new sword out next to him, looking around the place. Getting closer to the main room, they spotted some monsters.

As they came closer, the monsters spotted them too and began to attack. Zelda screamed as one really large monster raised his spikey club to strike her. Link decapitated the monster in mere seconds. He punched, kicked, and slashed until every last monster dropped to the ground.

Zelda stared at him in awe. "You know, you're quite amazing Link."

"Thanks Zelda. I love being a hero and doing my job" Link replied.

Finally, they arrived at the room with the statue. Zelda noticed that the mirror was missing though.

'Link did anyone mess with the mirror when Midna left?" she asked.

"No, but I have no idea where it went! This is terrible! Now we can never visit Midna and her world will be forever disconnected from ours!" Link cried while burying his face into his hands.

Zelda walked over to him and rubbed his back. "Link, it's ok. Midna isn't gone forever, we can find a way to get to the Twilight Realm. There has got to be another way to get there!"

"I miss her a lot. You know, I wonder all the time about how she- Link was interrupted again by a thundering of hooves, this time belonging to boars.

Suddenly, Brandon came running through the hall accompanied by a couple of soldiers. "Wait! I have a letter for you from Midna! I forgot to give you it in Snowpeak!"

"Brandon, how in the world did you know about Midna?" Zelda asked.

"I met her one day. We have become good friends actually. Anyway, she wrote you guys a letter and you've got to read it.

Zelda squealed in excitement. "Well, let's see it! I want to know how Midna is doing!"

"Wait, Brandon, you're supposed to be keeping your men at Snowpeak!" Link exclaimed.

"I know, I'll go back in a minute but I had to give you this" Brandon replied.

Brandon handed Zelda the letter, and she took it very quickly. Ripping the black envelope, she opened the letter and read what was inside:

_Dear Zelda and Link,_

_Its been forever, hasn't it? I miss you two way more than you guys could ever imagine! How is Hyrule? How are you both doing? Zelda, if you're reading this first, I just wanted to tell you that you are going to make a beautiful queen some day! Hey, could you hand this over to Link now?_

Zelda smiled as she read the letter, and then handed it to Link at that part.

_Link, you need to tell Zelda how you feel and very soon. I got a letter from Brandon saying that he was going to ask Zelda to be his girlfriend later! Hurry! I think that you would be an amazing king with Zelda ruling at your side! Anyway, ruling the Twilight Realm has been kind of difficult, but I enjoy it! Phantom and Ganondorf have threatened me many times, so I restored the mirror and returned to Hyrule! I'm actually staying right now at Death Mountain with the Mirror, protecting it with my life. Travel over here and we shall discuss everything that is going on currently! Also, I'd like a secret meeting with Link afterwards._

_Lots of love,_  
><em>Midna<em>

"Well, it's settled then. Midna is in Death Mountain, so we must head there!" Link exclaimed after he finished reading the letter. Picking Zelda up, Link carried her back to Epona. After he got on, they galloped from the desert back to Hyrule Field and headed towards Kakariko Village.

When they arrived at Death Mountain, Zelda spotted Midna in the warm springs. "Midna!" she cried as she threw her arms around her. "Hey Zelda" Midna smiled. Still as tall and beautiful as ever, Midna looked absolutely stunning. Link smiled and hugged her as well. Midna gestured for them to get in, so Zelda did. The hot water felt soothing to Zelda and very relaxing. Link sat on the side because he didn't want to get his sword rusty.

"So, we got your letter! Tell me about the Twilight Realm! I want to know all about it!" Zelda exclaimed.

"Well, currently life has been very dull for me. I mean, after Zant was destroyed, everything was back to normal. That is until I heard about Phantom's rise. It looks like Ganondorf found a new playmate" she smirked.

"Yeah, we've met this Phantom character. He is very evil, that's for sure. He wants to take over Hyrule with Ganondorf, which won't be easy unless they take down the Sages and the Light Spirits. With them gone, it would be difficult to save Hyrule so we must be sure to keep them safe" Zelda said.

"Wait, they're spirits, right? How can spirits get hurt?" Link asked.

"Well, spirits can't be hurt just like us. However, they can have their power drained by taking away the light. This way, it would weaken them. Spirits actually can't physically fight but they can aid us by giving us great advice and information about the enemy. They are very wise and good companions" Midna explained."Anyway, we should start by going to the Light Spirits and asking them about Hyrule's history because the more you know, the better. You already have been back in time to witness Issac's rule, but there are still a lot of questions that should be answered. We surely don't want that to happen again."

"Yeah, Hyrule can't afford to fall into the wrong hands" Zelda agreed.

"Anyway, I need to talk to Link alone if you don't mind" Midna said while turning to Zelda. "Oh, of course! I'm going to go talk to the Light Spirit Eldin. See you later!" Zelda waved goodbye as she walked back down the mountain to the spring.

_Surely we can get some information from Eldin_ Zelda thought. When she stepped into the spring, Eldin greeted her with a warm light.

_Welcome to my spring, princess of Hyrule. What brings you here?_

"I have come here to ask you questions, but I can't ask them without Link here. He wanted to know the answers as well.

_Ah, what questions were you going to ask me?_ Eldin asked.

"Oh, just questions about Hyrule's history" Zelda said.

_Ah, yes, those were very hard times indeed. The hero of time must be here to listen_

"Yeah. I wonder what's going on?" Zelda asked. _Midna and Link must be discussing something serious_ she thought. _I wonder what it is?_


	6. The Four Instruments of Legend

Link sat in front of Midna in a small hut on the side. He sat on the empty bed across Midna seated cross-legged on the floor. The house didn't belong to anyone; it had been deserted for years.  
>Link stared awkwardly at Midna. The first thing that came to anybody's mind when they saw her was beauty. And Midna possessed every single ounce possible. Her slender pale legs looked spotless compared to the dusty floor, and her reddish eyes stood out against her headpiece. Her orange hair was neatly tied back.<br>She seemed so different than before. When Zant and Ganondorf had spread Twilight across the light realm, Midna had only been an odd, small, creature of a sort. To think that it was a curse emplaced by Zant… Link would never have guessed.  
>He wouldn't be surprised either if even Zelda was jealous of her appearance, though he knew Zelda would never dream of robing herself in such a revealing outfit.<br>Midna smiled mischievously at Link.

"So… hey." Link said. He found it much harder to talk when she was in human form.

"Don't play with me, Link. We both know Hyrule's danger."

"You don't say. That's what you needed to tell me?"

"No." She said. "Phantom and Ganon are not the only threat."

"Please tell me you're joking."

"I kid you not. Do you remember what I said to you long ago? Never forget that there's another world bound to this one."

"Yeah, the Twilight Realm." Link replied, with no clue where the conversation was going.

"Not that. I assume you remember what the princess said too? Shadow and Light are two sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other. This is not the only world there is."

"Get to the point, Midna." Link said.

"Get to the point, _Princess_ Midna. I may be Princess of the Twilight Realm, but I'm still a princess nonetheless. Anyway, there are other worlds. Other dimensions."

"That's… kind of hard to believe, but I've seen a lot. I still don't see how this is a problem."

"Link... They're intertwining. This must not, under any circumstances, be allowed to happen. Have you heard of the shadow clan?"

"No." Link said, dully.

"They are emerging into the worlds from the Sacred Realm. They will try to take over and unite the worlds as one."

"I'm definitely very sorry to hear that Midna, but I'd best be on my way." Link stood up and headed towards the door.  
>Midna shot out an arm and grabbed Link.<br>"Your task at hand does not require much attention. It is being performed by others. See to it, and go to Renado's sanctuary."

"It's being performed by whom?" Link said, suspicious.

Midna didn't answer his question.  
>"Go, Link. I will meet you outside when you are ready to depart."<p>

Link left Midna and walked to Renado's sanctuary.

Zelda waited patiently for Link to arrive. Eldin floated in the air, clutching his ball of light.  
>Zelda went over her thoughts quietly in her head.<br>Phantom and Ganon were obviously the initial concern. Also, all of Castle Town's people were stationed in the Snowpeak ruins. Zelda had only met Yeto and his wife once before, when she was very young, and they seemed incredibly nice. But how long would the supplies last? Soon enough, there'd be a food shortage and Yeto and Yeta will get tired of hosting all the guards and folk. Where would they go then?  
>Certainly not back to Hyrule Castle, of course. Though Zelda wasn't exactly sure of Phantom or Ganondorf's whereabouts, there was no doubt they must have claimed the town and castle to be theirs, and probably left more Darknuts and Lizalfos to guard if they weren't there themselves. The absence of Hyrule guards in the Lanayru region most likely attracted more monsters out of their crevices. Zelda imagined what it would look like upon her return. Monsters crawled and swarmed around the decayed castle. She immediately pushed that thought of her head. Phantom and Ganon wouldn't settle only for the castle, though. Right now, they're probably scouting out around the regions, killing people and claiming land. Killing people. Killing children. Children.<br>Zelda jumped up.  
>"The children! In Ordon!" She cried.<p>

_Relax, my princess._ Eldin soothingly said, somehow penetrating her thoughts. _The children of Ordon are well. The kings of fate have not passed Ordona yet. However, it may be wise to visit them soon. I surmise they do not yet know of the danger they may be in. You should warn them, but pledge yourself to their protection. They must not be overly alarmed._

"Thank the Gods…" Zelda breathed in relief.  
>She swept a braid out of her face and tucked it behind an ear.<br>"Then where are Phantom and Ganondorf?"

_I am not sure of their exact locations._ Eldin answered. _But they do not remain in Hyrule Castle, as you predicted._

Zelda saw Link trotting up the path to the spring.

"Hey." He said.

"Link! What did Midna speak to you about?"

"I'll tell you later." He waved off the question. "So, are we ready to go?"

"Of course not. Soon. You have to be spiritually boosted."

"Um… why?" Link said, stepping into the spring next to Zelda.

_Do not ask so many questions, Hero,_ Eldin said, and Link turned to face the giant winged spirit._Focus your concentration on me._

Link closed his eyes. He obviously did not see what was happening, but he felt himself suddenly propelled with energy. Something washed over him, and his energy died down. He felt soothed.  
>Link opened his eyes.<br>Eldin was gone. The water rippled where Eldin once floated over. Before Link's eyes, a silver flute arose from the water and hovered there, tempting Link to grab it.  
>Zelda gasped. "Take it, Link!"<p>

He waded through the water to the hovering flute. There was one word engraved next to the mouthpiece.  
>It wrote, "MIDNA"<p>

Link gently placed a hand under the flute, and it immediately fell into his hand.  
>He walked back over to Zelda.<br>"Wow. Play it."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"It's for Midna."

Midna just came upon the spring and smiled at the two.  
>"You guys ready to leave?"<p>

"Yeah. Here." Link held out a hand and gave her the flute.

Her eyes widened, which was a little creepy.  
>"Oh my… I… I used to have one of these when I was a child. My father made it for me. I would play all day… Why are you giving this to me?" Midna said.<p>

"Turn it over." Said Zelda.

Midna caught a hold of her name. She was going to say something, but she stopped.  
>"Where to, Princess?" She neatly placed the flute in a fold in her cloak.<p>

"Ordon Spring." Zelda announced.

"As you wish." Midna raised her arms above her head, and they felt themselves disappear from their location.

Link reappeared with Zelda and Midna in front of the Ordon Spring.

"Link, I need to go speak with the town elder. You go… uh… stand in the spring. I'll meet up with you in a second."  
>Zelda ran off towards Ordon Village.<br>Midna stood silently near the outside of the spring.

Link stepped in, and Ordona appeared.  
><em>We must not stay and chat, Hero. You have things to do.<em>  
>Ordona said nothing further, and Link closed his eyes and felt the odd sensation wash over him again.<br>The water rippled again and a violin arose from the water.  
>Link gently took the violin and flipped it over.<br>He could hardly believe his eyes.  
>"BRANDON"<br>Link scoffed. How dare he deserve an instrument as sacred as this! What the uses for these were… Link wasn't sure. But he was sure that Brandon didn't qualify to play it.

He stomped out of the water and searched for Zelda.

He found Zelda talking to Mayor Bo near the ranch.  
>Bo noticed Link and waved.<br>"Ah, hello, Link. Our Princess was just telling me a ridiculous story. Honestly, she needs to get out of the castle more often!"

"What story?" Link asked.

"That Ganondorf and some 'Phantom' have returned."

"She's telling the truth."  
>Link pulled Zelda away back to the spring by her arm.<p>

"What? What? Did you get another instrument?"

Link reluctantly held out the violin. Zelda saw the name imprinted and took it.  
>"Wow! This is very nice! The wood finish was expertly applied…"<p>

"Zelda!" Link said, rather rudely.

"What?" She looked up, startled.

"That's Brandon's!"

"And…?"

"Well," Link struggled to find words. "I don't know! It just doesn't seem like he would deserve an instrument!"

"Link, that's ridiculous. I don't know what grudges you may hold against Brandon, but he's a strong-willed guard and I'm sure he's ready to do whatever he needs to do with the violin. Midna!"

Midna walked over gracefully, eyeing the violin.  
>"Yes, Princess? Ready to depart?"<p>

"Almost. I need you to find a man named Brandon Chevalier. He might be in the Snowpeak area."

Midna disappeared into a portal.  
>Not long after, she returned with Brandon, who was looking around wildly.<br>He saw Zelda, and he smoothed out his chainmail shirt and removed his helmet. His short brown hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat. Unlike most guards, he was well-built and muscular. His broad shoulders settled as he crouched down on one knee. Link wondered what he was doing.

"My dear Zelda, I meant to say this long ago but we did not have the time."  
>Brandon pulled out a small, jewel-encrusted box.<p>

Link looked to Midna, who just smiled and watched.

"Brandon?" Zelda gasped.

"My fair lady of Hyrule," Brandon said, his eyes twinkling. "Our relationship, until now, has been completely professional. But I wish to take it to the next level. Never in Hyrule's history has a beautiful princess like yourself been wedded to a lowly guard. I want to change this. My dear, dear, Princess Zelda of Hyrule." Brandon opened the box to reveal a smooth, silver ring.  
>"Will you marry me?"<p>

Zelda's eyes opened wide. She looked at Link, then Midna, then back to Brandon.  
>"Oh-oh, Brandon- This is, rather, sudden, don't you think?" She stuttered.<p>

Brandon stood and played with Zelda's straight brown hair.  
>"Love should never take too long to happen."<p>

Zelda obviously felt uncomfortable with Brandon standing so close to her.  
>"Sir Brandon, Chief of the Guards of Hyrule." She said, more calmly. "This is very sweet, and I admire your courage and bravery to do this. However, I am not ready for this kind of relationship. Please, Brandon. Understand."<br>Zelda gave Brandon a sympathetic kiss on the cheek.

Brandon looked extremely disappointed. No, disappointed wasn't really the right word, Link decided. More like depressed. Crestfallen. Dispirited.  
>He looked down with sad eyes, and threw the ring behind him.<br>For once, Link felt sorry for the man. Brandon sat himself on a boulder behind him. His chest heaved with sorrow. "Take me home." He sobbed to Midna.

"Not so fast," Zelda interrupted. "We still have use for you. Here."  
>Zelda handed Brandon the violin.<br>He took the violin, but his enthusiasm did not rise.

"You will come with us." Zelda commanded Brandon.

Brandon silently stood.  
>Midna took them all through the portal, and arrived at the Faron spring.<p>

Brandon and Midna stood to the side, but Zelda stood right beside Link.  
>This time, the spirit didn't even say anything, and just let the cool air wash over Link.<br>It disappeared, and a majestic golden harp slowly arose, water drops falling off.  
>Zelda marveled and grabbed the harp.<br>"It has my name on it!" She squealed excitedly and ran over to show Midna.

One more place to go, thought Link.

He walked over to the three and watched as Zelda fiddled around with the harp.  
>"I've never had one." She said, experimenting with her fingers. "But I've seen pictures in ancient books. It's supposed to be the instrument of the Goddess."<br>She obviously had no idea how to play it, compared to Brandon who had slowly begun producing sweet notes on his violin. He must have played before.

Midna though, had not been playing her instrument.  
>"Let's get going. We're not to dawdle." They rose through the portal to Lanayru.<p>

However, Link did not land near the spring.  
>He landed hard on the ground and rubbed his eyes.<br>_Where am I?_ He wondered.  
>The wind rustled his loose hair and Link pulled his green cap closer.<br>Link looked up. Clouds. Link looked down. More clouds.  
><em>No, no, no, no!<em>

Link stood up and nearly fell as an Oocca whizzed by his head. He was outside the Oocca shop, where the wind blew violently.  
>A strong current passed and Link flattened himself to the ground to avoid being pushed off.<br>He spotted a limp body across from him. Half of it dangled off the edge.  
>Link lunged and caught Brandon by his arms just before he fell off completely.<br>He pulled Brandon up and carried him to the store.  
>He set him down against the wall where he regained consciousness.<br>He strained his eyes and saw Link.  
>"Huh? Link? Where's Zelda and that other freaky woman? Where are we?"<p>

"I have no idea where Zelda and Midna are," Link said, "But I know we're in the City of the Sky."

The Ooccan shopkeeper flew around.  
>"Tyenruiso katkatala!" It looked at Link curiously.<p>

"I don't speak Sky Language…" Link muttered.

"Myu? Oh, yes! It you, the Hylian boy very long time ago. I speak little Hylian. You understand me?"

"I understand you fine. Listen, I need to get down back to Hyrule."  
>Link checked the semi-conscious Brandon for wounds.<p>

"To Hyruuuule? No, no, not now. You can't." It flapped its wings.

"Why not?" Link turned to face the Oocca.

"Cannon broken. It being repaired now."

Link cursed under his breath.  
>"Is there any way at all to get back down besides the cannon?"<p>

"You jump."

Link couldn't tell if it was joking or not.  
>"Seriously. I need to get down."<p>

"You jump!" The Oocca repeated.

Link sighed and sat next to Brandon.  
>Even if they were somehow able to jump in the water, the speed traveling down would become so great and the momentum would rise, not ending in a soft landing. Anyway, why were they up here? Link trusted Midna very well; he knew she wouldn't teleport them somewhere far on purpose. Something must have disrupted her in the process, and broke her concentration, sending Link and Brandon up here. Link hoped Zelda was safe.<br>He though back to the time when he had traveled up to the City in the Sky and defeated Argorok, the Twilit Dragon. The setting was very frightening, Link admitted, and it was true. Dangling on a floating plant by a hookshot thousands of feet in the air didn't really comfort him. Though, the battle wasn't very hard. The only problems he faced was avoiding the fire breath. Other than that, Link simply had to squint through the pouring rain to correctly aim at the weak spot in his back.  
>Link looked at the Ooccan shopkeeper. How happy they seemed always, just speaking gibberish and floating around on a cushion of air…<p>

Link stood up.  
>"You owe me a favor. I'd like it now, please." He directed at the shopkeeper.<p>

The bird looked at him strangely.  
>"What you want?"<p>

"I need you and another volunteer. Would you be willing to travel to the surface?"

"The surface? I guess. It take me long time to fly back up."

"Thanks!" Link ran and grabbed the bird, which caused a weird squawk noise.  
>"Brandon? Do you feel well enough to walk?"<p>

"Course I do, mother. I'm not the leader of the guards for nothing."  
>Brandon was back to his usual attitude and stood up slowly as not to lose balance.<p>

Brandon followed Link and the Oocca back outside where they were before.

"Can you call one of your friends please?" Link asked the Oocca.

It emitted an extremely high-pitched series of notes. Link almost dropped him to cover his ears.  
>Soon enough, a similar Oocca came and perched itself atop of Link's head.<br>"Brandon, grab the Oocca. Whatever happens, try not to let go until you reach the bottom."

Brandon looked at Link as if he were insane.

"Just do it. I've tried it before."

Brandon pulled the Oocca off of Link's hat and awkwardly hugged it to his chest.

"Follow me!"  
>Link took a running start and jumped off the edge of the city, holding the desperately flapping Oocca high above his head.<br>They traveled faster down than Link anticipated, but slower still than without any bird. Link tried to spot Brandon, but amidst all the clouds nothing could be seen.  
>After a while of calm flying, Link could make out water.<br>"Well," The Oocca squawked, "I get going now!"  
>It shook off Link and sent him plunging into the lake.<p>

Link swam up and took a breath of air. He looked around. He spotted Brandon coming down more gently, but Zelda and Midna were nowhere to be seen around the lake.  
>He paddled to the dirt path and waited for Brandon to join him.<br>"Where are they?" He asked.

"Not sure. They may have already gone in the spring… But they technically could be anywhere."

Still, they entered Lanayru Spring.  
>They met an unexpected sight.<br>About forty lizalfos ran around the small cave, shrieking at the top of their slimy lungs. Midna was in one corner, expertly dealing with one lizalfos after another, but Zelda wasn't in sight. Midna spotted Link and Brandon.  
>"Help me kill them all!"<p>

Brandon drew a decent sword, and Link his green sword. The Apprentice Sword, he planned to call it. As in, the Master Sword, and the Apprentice Sword. Link though it had a nice ring to it.  
>They dove into battle, slashing and spinning. They weren't hard to fight; they were all on the ground, dead, in less than five minutes.<p>

"Zelda… Where is she?" Link walked over to Midna, breathing heavily.

"We appeared here, and were immediately ambushed. I sent Zelda and you guys away in a panic. Apparently she isn't with you. But do not fret, she should be safe."

"Where is she?"

"I don't know. But we can travel through the same portal."

Link nodded and waved them away.  
>"You go get her. I'll be with you in a second, I just need to talk to Lanayru."<p>

Midna nodded and went through the portal with Brandon. Link trudged over to the little outcrop in the rock and watched the spirit Lanayru rise from the bottom of the lake. His fierce, alligator-like appearance intimidated Link a bit, but he knew Lanayru would never cause him harm.  
><em>Hero… You must travel back again. There you will find your instrument.<em>

"What?" Link said, shocked. "You don't have one of those specialized instruments?"

Lanayru shook his big head slowly.  
><em>I fear not. It was stolen.<em>

"It was stolen? By whom?"

_Grythan. He is the son of Isaac. How he managed to find a time portal, I am at a loss of words. He appeared, dispelled my light, and then was gone. I now presume it is an offering to his father, but I am not sure. Hero, you must collect it back. Whatever the costs. The power held in these instruments when played together… it is unheard of._

Before Link could say anything, his vision clouded and he fell to the floor, his limbs unresponsive.  
>He blinked, and blinked again.<br>Slowly, his eyes focused. He was looking up at a dark blue sky, probably the night.  
>He now stood up. There was a castle far in the distance, but it didn't look the one he knew. The grass under his boots were brown and bare, as if deserted.<br>A thunder cloud loomed over the castle.  
>Link was in the past.<p> 


	7. Ganondorf's Past

**Zelda's Pov**

Zelda really hated to travel in those horrifying ugly blue portals that were strewn across the land of Hyrule. While she was being transported, she felt like she was squished to the maximum, and it was very hard to breathe as well.

It was only a few seconds, but to Zelda it felt like minutes had gone by before she appeared at the east entrance to Castle Town. Standing near the stone steps that would take her to the heart of it, Zelda gasped as she looked up to a horrifying sight.

Hyrule Castle was completely engulfed in a black barrier that surrounded its walls. It was similar to the golden barrier that surrounded it when Zant ruled the land, except that no one was able to see the actual castle itself.

As much as Zelda wanted to storm up to those huge iron doors that lead into the castle, bursts thorough them, and beat the tar out of Phantom and Ganondorf, she couldn't. No one could ever hope to defeat them alone, because they were too powerful together.

Zelda knew that it was extremely dangerous to be standing so close to Hyrule Castle alone with no one to protect her, but she couldn't go anywhere else. In fact, it sounded crazy, but the castle seemed like the only safe place for her.  
>This is when Zelda devised a brilliant plan. She thought about the risk of getting caught, but she was willing to do anything to prevent herself from being captured. Again.<p>

Zelda gracefully walked up the stairs of the east side into Castle Town itself. Thank the goddesses that it was night, because there would be less people on the streets. If she could sneak by without anyone noticing her, she could just get to her destination and roll her plan into action.

**Midna's POV**

Meanwhile, Midna wasn't having much luck finding Zelda. She thought that she had surely sent them all through to Lake Hylia, but something caused a disturbance. Whatever did, it messed up everything. Midna had thought that she had told the truth to Link when she said that she could travel through the same portal, but now she wasn't so sure. There were 14 other portals that she could possibly have gone through, and Midna had no idea where to start. Hoping that one was the right choice, she decided to try Snowpeak first, because it was the farthest.

When she arrived at Snowpeak, Midna talked with the Yetis. They were terrified to see her, because she was in her true form. They asked her many questions about what type of creature she was, but she just chose to ignore them. Instead, she asked them about Zelda. They shook their heads and told her that they hadn't seen her.

Groaning, Midna walked a little ways until she was out of eyesight from the Yetis. She looked at the map carefully again, and decided to try some Twilight magic to detect where Zelda was.

Concentrating hard, Midna managed to produce a small yet powerful ball of blackness. She concentrated on the map and hovered the ball over it. When she felt that the ball triggered a little shock, she immediately opened her eyes.  
>Looking down at the map, she noticed that the ball was hovering over the portal to the east entrance to Castle Town. Sighing, Midna discarded the magic and warped there.<p>

**Zelda's POV**

Zelda entered the fortune teller's shop and smiled when she saw the fortune teller sitting behind her crystal ball. She walked up to Madame Fanadi and greeted her with kindness.

"Hello, fortune teller. I know you know who I am, but you must keep it a secret. I need a disguise to sneak into the castle and find out what's really going on between the two evil geniuses, Ganondorf and Phantom."

Fanadi looked at Zelda with great interest and smiled. "My dear child, I can see the future now. Do not attempt to disguise yourself, it will only make matters worse. Instead, I know exactly what you are going to get yourself into, so why not help you along the way? Let me console my magic crystal ball and see what answers it shall give to you..."

With that, Madame Fanadi spoke with great concentration, "!elihw a sekat ti ,ssecnirp raed ym tneitap eb esaelP!"

Immediately, the ball started to glow. She took one look at it and exclaimed "Ah ha! I see!"

Turning back to Zelda, she smiled softly. "My dear, Hyrule Castle is not a safe place for you. I suggest that you leave immediately. Do take this letter to one of the four light spirits that have protected these lands for generations, and let them read it. Accept whatever they may give back to you with thanks, for it shall be something very important. Go at once and waste no time, this is vital to your survival." Madame Fanadi warned.

"I won't disappoint you, Madame Fanadi! I promise that this will be safely delivered." Zelda's voice quivered as she spoke. She took the letter and quickly left the fortune place. Her plan was ruptured, but at least Madame Fanadi had saved her from incoming disaster.

Zelda snuck back outside to the place where she was before, and spotted Midna sitting on one of the stone steps that descended into Hyrule Field. She ran up to her from behind and gave her a giant hug.

"Midna, the circumstances aren't so great, but I'm glad you're here. I thought I was abandoned for a while." Zelda said. "Where's Link and Brandon?"  
>"I have no idea, but all I'm focused on is finding you. What do you have in your hand?" Midna asked.<p>

'It's a letter to one of the light spirits. It doesn't matter which one. It's a long story though, could we warp to Ordon Spring?" Zelda asked.  
>"Why, of course. Ok, we'll be right there." Midna said as she grabbed Zelda and warped to Ordon Spring.<p>

When they got there, it was no surprise that more monsters were there. This time, at least 50 Bokoblins surrounded the area. All were purple, with large butcher knives as weapons. Midna and Zelda sighed, and drew their weapons. Fighting together, they managed to slay all of the Bokoblins in under 30 minutes.

Suddenly, Ordon magically appeared as the last Bokoblin was slayed. He levitated the letter that Zelda had in her hand and read it. When he was finished, he nodded his head understandingly and turned his attention back to the princess.

_Princess, you have a task to fulfill, according to Fanadi. Long, long ago, before you were born, something took place that ruined a childhood and brought a life of stealing, cheating, and terrifying the poor citizens of Hyrule. We light spirits have always called him the dark one, but you may know him as Ganondorf. You must see what went on to fully understand his motivations for causing chaos and destruction to Hyrule._

Suddenly, a weird looking white portal appeared in the sky above the usual black and blue one. Without another word, Ordona sent Zelda and Midna to the portal, causing them to travel through it. Once they disappeared, the portal closed up and disappeared itself as well.

Zelda was the first one to be transported, followed by Midna in a close second. As they landed, they noticed something very different about the scenery around them. The sky was a medium blue color, and the ground was covered in a lot of sand. They were standing in a desert, and it was much browner in color than the Gerudo Desert from their time. This wasn't their time though, this was a different time. Zelda realized that as she looked on to the faces of some women that she didn't recognize.

Midna gasped and grabbed Zelda by the shoulder. "Zelda, these aren't just any normal women. This is the Gerudo tribe! Do you know who their king is?" Midna asked as she gulped.

Zelda slowly turned to Midna and shook her head. "No, but I've read about them in the books. They are a group of thieves, entirely made up of women. Every one hundred years though, a man is born who is destined to be their king."

Midna slowly nodded her head. "You're spot on, Zelda. Now, think about it carefully. Who else do we know is a part of the Gerudo family?"

"Ganondorf." Zelda gasped. Her eyes widened and she looked at Midna. "We must be here to see Ganondorf's past. If that's the case though, where is he?"  
>Suddenly, a large scream disrupted their little conversation. The Gerudo that were standing there turned to look at the source of the noise. It came from one of the tents that was pitched up in the desert.<p>

"We can see them, but they can't see us, Zelda. This is because this is in the past. We must go see what'd going on behind that tent." Midna whispered back.  
>Zelda nodded her head and slowly followed Midna to the tent. Walking inside, she found a Gerudo laying on the bed and wallowing in agony.<p>

"What's she doing?" Zelda asked to Midna. "Zelda, what she is doing is having a baby, and I suspect I know the gender." Midna replied.

Sure enough, as the baby was born, a Gerudo came in and wrapped the baby in a towel. She checked to see the gender and beamed proudly to her fellow tribe members.

"Ladies, this one is destined to be our king! It's a boy!" she smiled as she celebrated the new arrival of the baby.

"Aww, Ganondorf looked cute as a baby." Zelda smiled. Midna nudged her and rolled her eyes. "Need I remind you princess, that this man caused total choas and destruction to your kingdom?"

"No, but that's beside the point. I wonder if Ordona is going to show us more than just his birth?" Zelda asked.

As if on cue, the scene before them suddenly changed. Now, they were standing in one of the tents, witnessing Ganondorf's first step.

His Gerudo mother helped him as he waddled around. Zelda giggled and found it kind of silly seeing Ganondorf in diapers. It was truly a ridiculous sight, but Ordona had a reason why he was showing it.

As Ganondorf accidentally fell over for the millionth time in a row, the Gerudo mother was beginning to become impatient. Snarling, she reached over and spanked him quite hard. "You're going to learn to walk today, Ganondorf! I'm tired of carrying you!" she exclaimed as she spanked him more.

Ganondorf yelped in pain and cried. That just made her angrier, but she kept her anger. Instead, she softly spoke to him in a gentle and sweet voice that filled the room.

"Oh Ganondorf, I'm so sorry I spanked you. You do need to learn how to walk though, it's very important. Come here baby, let me get a good look at you!" his mother exclaimed as she opened her arms wide. Ganondorf giggled and smiled, and crawled over to greet his mother.

She cuddled him and kissed him with much tenderness. Everyone knew that Ganondorf"s mother loved him unconditionally. He giggled and held her hand with his little tiny one. No one could interrupt the amazing relationship between a mother and her son.

The scene changed yet again. This time, Ganondorf was a little bit more grown, probably around the age of 6. He still had that amazing relationship with his mother, and they were living quite happily for some time. The Gerudo didn't even have the will to steal, which was very rare.

His happy time was cut short however. His mother came down with a terrible disease, and no one knew how to heal her. She died a tragic death into her son's arms, as she screamed of hurt and pain. Ganondorf cried watching his mother die, because she was the only thing that he had ever learned to love.

Once she was gone, Ganondorf buried her in a special place outside of the tent where he lived with her. Now that she was gone, he had no family left. He didn't even know his father, and he was unsure whether he had any aunts or uncles. Being 6, he wasn't even sure if he had any friends.

Growing up around the Gerudo though, he was the only boy, and so he had to get used to all the young girls that lived in the desert too. Sometimes, he felt lonely, but he tried to make friends with the girls. They turned him away because he looked weird, and he was a guy.

Ganondorf eventually began to feel ashamed of himself. He sought the help of any of the women Gerudo, but they were too busy going back to their normal ways of stealing and being thieves. It was at that point, his darkest hour, when he just wanted to curl up in a ball and die right then and there.

However, something happened that changed his life drastically. A new Gerudo joined the ranks, and instantly became close with Ganondorf. She charmed him and he fell under her spell, but she was a trickster.

One day as he tried to give her a kiss like he had his mother, she rejected him away. He didn't know any better, but it broke his heart to be rejected. After that, she treated him cruelly. Anytime she would cross his path, she'd do something mean like spit in his face, physically hurt him, or tease him with mean and hurtful nicknames. She taunted him for a long time, and his hatred for her only grew stronger.

Ganondorf kept his emotions bottled up until he was 15. Finally, he decided that he had had enough. He decided to become a criminal, and take his anger out on people. He stole things, he cheated, and he began to lie a lot more. Soon, he was doing even more serious crimes like kidnapping, torturing, and destroying property. He set fire to some tents, and burned them down, laughing evilly as they turned to nothing but ashes.

As he got older, he also got much stronger. Pretty soon, he could demolish whole cities in under 5 minutes. His goal was simple, his motives were strong. Ganondorf had a great lust for power, and he wasn't going to be satisfied until he got revenge for his people being forced to live in the desert. His next target was Hyrule...

The scenes kept changing as the timeline went on. The last scene to show was the one of Ganondorf taking control of Hyrule Castle after Zant had forced Zelda to surrender.

After the last scene, Midna and Zelda reappeared at the spring where Ordona was residing. Looking around, they realized that they were in Hyrule again. Zelda sighed in relief and turned to Ordona.

"Thank you Ordona, I have a better background history of Ganondorf now. Is there anything else you think that you need to show us before we depart to discuss this further?" she asked.

_No, no, I showed you what you needed to see. It was nothing more, or nothing less. I just simply wanted you to take a look into Ganondorf's past._

"Ah, ok. Well, come on Midna. Let's go discuss this further." Zelda said as she grabbed Midna's arm. She turned and together they started to walk towards Link's house.

As she finally sat down for the first time that day, Zelda felt a bit more relaxed. She still was worried about many issues that clouded her mind, but she was glad to be somewhere safe.

She turned to Midna and noticed just how beautiful she looked. She could tell why Link liked her so much, not only because she was nice but also because she had a beautiful structure.

Shaking her head, she ignored the thought from her mind. She looked and Midna and finally spoke to break the silence. "So, what did you think about Ganondorf's past?" Zelda asked casually.

Midna shrugged. "It was pretty interesting. I've heard of it before though, Ganondorf came from tragic circumstances and so he converted to crime. That's actually quite popular, that's how most villains come to be."

"I agree, I agree indeed. You know I was lying when I said that we could discuss this more, we don't need to. Both of us understand how the scenes were relevant, and we're ready to piece our clues together. We need the boys here though, they're with the other instruments. Link doesn't have his yet, but the light spirits told us about them. They must wield something extremely powerful to be able to conquer anything." Zelda said.

"Speaking of our instruments, did you bring your harp, Zelda? I brought my flute, just in case I would get to play. I do need to practice though; I'm barely good with it." Midna admitted.

"Yes, I actually did. Shall we work on ours individually for a while and then play a little duet?" Zelda asked.

"That would be a good idea actually. Let the practicing begin!" Midna exclaimed.

Both Midna and Zelda practiced their instruments for a long time, making sure to get all the fingerings, rhythms, and notes down. They worked with the basics first and then gradually became better as they improved.

Finally, they both felt tired and worn out from the day's work. Midna's fingers were sore and cramping from the flute keys, and Zelda's fingers bled a little from the harp strings.

It was worth all of that though, because at the end, the girls played a lovely duet. There might have been chaos and every reason to worry, but at that moment, nothing but the music mattered to both of them. They started by playing little duets and gradually warming up to long, flowing, sophisticated duets.

Ending on a good note, Zelda and Midna decided to call it quits for the day. Both had worked extremely hard, and both were ready for a well-deserved sleep. Zelda took the bed while Midna slept on the couch, and they slept away to the dream world where anything and everything can happen.


	8. Grythan

Link silently crept around the corner of the marketplace. Compared to the main market in Hyrule Castle, this one in the past was practically empty.  
>Storm clouds loomed over the sky, but a soft drizzle beat down upon the ground.<br>The few people left in the square were either beggars or homeless. Trying to act as casual as possible, Link slipped out from behind the wall and began walking towards the castle entrance.  
>"Ey, boy! How 'bout some bread? You look starvin'!" A shopkeeper called out to Link. He politely shook his head and kept walking. Actually, Link <em>was<em> starving, but he dared not call any attention to himself. No matter how small, whatever Link did could infinitely effect the future. Time was in flux, and history could be re-written.  
>Several poor folks pulled at Link's clothes, but he ignored them and continued.<br>Link wasn't exactly sure what he should be looking for, especially since Grythan probably wouldn't be in the middle of a road with an ocarina held high over his head.  
>Link figured he must be heading to the castle to offer it to his father. Facing Grythan alone was do-able, however taking on Grythan and Isaac combined would be much too hard. Who knows how much power Isaac already had?<br>Link decided he would have to reach Grythan before Grythan could reach his father.  
>It wouldn't matter if he faced Grythan and changing his future, because he traveled forward in time and stole something, altering his own destiny. Link would be setting it back to 'normal.'<br>Link sped-walk all the way to the castle, keeping his face down.  
>He bumped into a guard, dressed in red robes.<br>"Hey! Watch it kid! What are you doing here?"

"I need to get in the castle now." Link huffed confidently and fearlessly.  
>It didn't faze the guard at all.<br>"Ha. As if. Nobody gets in the castle without specific clearance from the king himself. Be off with you, before I dispose of you myself."

Link smoothly trotted away from the guards, traveling slightly to the right while doing so.  
>When he finally was out of eye-shot of the guards, Link again began heading to the castle, but this time pressing himself to the very side of the courtyard wall. He was only concealed by few bush leaves.<br>Call it unprofessional, but it worked.  
>Link reached the iron fence to which the guards were standing at the opening further down to the right. He vaulted over the fence, narrowly avoiding contact with the metal barbs that stuck out on the top. Link ungracefully hit the ground, his sword clashing with his shield and making a little noise.<br>He swiveled his head around to see the guards looking around the fence, and he flattened himself against the fence.  
>The guards resumed their previous positions. Link crept across a small dirt road to a large moat with the drawbridge to the castle on the other side. It was closed, but that wasn't how Link planned to get in anyway.<br>He dived into the moat, making a tiny splash, then swam with the current behind the guards to the side of the castle.

Oldest trick in the book.  
>Link climbed out of the moat onto the path and wringed his cap to get all the water out.<br>Link set about searching for some sort of opening.  
>He found a metal door on a tower, but it was locked from the inside. The moat drained out into a sewer, so Link had no need to go there.<br>That only left the delivery hatch.  
>Link knew this was used for food goods or weapons, pretty much anything that was imported into the castle.<br>From his trips inside the modern Hyrule castle with Zelda, (in which they ran around and explored freely,) he also knew that behind the hatch was a long conveyor belt, operated by those bars that roll. Getting in would be easy enough, however there were most likely workers standing around the belt to push the goods along. That might be a problem, since Link was sure he wasn't going in there and start killing everyone. The whole thing had to be very discreet and stealthy.  
>He looked around wildly, looking for something that might help him.<br>His eyes set on a stack of discarded wooden crates. He knew what he had to do.

Link pulled the largest of the crates out of the stack, which was labeled, "FOOD."  
>He opened the lid and tried to squeeze inside. His sword was too long and his shield took up too much room. Link stood and found another crate, this one labeled, "WEAPONS."<br>He slung off his sword and shield and put them inside the weapons crate. They would fit by themselves. Link had to go separately in his own crate.

He pushed the weapons crate first into the hatch, and it disappeared into the inside. Link then hefted the food box right outside the hatch and got inside. He pushed off with the ceiling then lowered the lid. The only thing he could do is hope the workers wouldn't open his crate. He rolled into the hatch.

Link couldn't see very much out of the cracks in his box, but it was easy to tell that the room was bright and filled with assemblymen stacking boxes and things.  
>The belt which Link himself was on forked out into three different belts, which extended into three different rooms.<br>Link could see the crate with his sword directly in front of him through a little crack.

He felt a man push his crate hard, followed by, "Damn, this box is heavy! If King Isaac keeps eating as much food as this, he'll look like an obese chuchu!"

The room erupted into laughter, and Link himself had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing.  
>His crate soon came to a stop behind the weapons crate.<br>He heard a deep voice. "This one into the armory."

Link saw the weapons crate with his sword and shield pushed into the room on the very left. Link's food crate was soon pushed to where the weapons crate had been just moments ago.  
>"This into the food pantry." The deep voice echoed.<p>

Link realized his mistake as somebody shoved his crate into the room on the very right.  
>The belt ended abruptly when it reached the pantry, and Link fell to the floor, still in his box. He pushed the lid off and got out, stretching his legs.<br>Link tried to take control of the situation.  
>Grythan was somewhere in the castle. Link's weapons were lost in a room someplace, and if Link took the time to try to find them and retrieve them, the ocarina might already be in Isaac's hands, and then it would be too hard to get it back.<br>Link would either have to steal the ocarina from Grythan without his noticing, or he would have to prepare an ambush with no sword.  
>Basically, a suicide mission.<br>Still, Link didn't have a choice. He found a door opposite the hatch where he came through and stepped through into the main lobby.

It was much larger than Link had expected. It was bigger than the modern Hyrule castle. There was a grand staircase in the center, and magnificent stone pillars placed around the room.  
>Link shook his head. Ignore the architecture. Grythan would most likely be on the upper floor, because all royal chambers and the throne room are there.<br>Luckily, there was no one in the main lobby save a couple of workers who eyed Link but didn't ask any questions. It wasn't their job to do so.

He casually jogged up the stairs, politely waving to the workers. As soon as Link was on the upper floor, he broke into a run.  
>The castle was huge and there was a lot of ground to cover. He decided he would start with the chambers. Problem was, he had no idea where that was.<p>

Link almost stumbled into a guard patrolling the hallway.  
>"Hey! Identify yourself!"<p>

Link racked his brain for some clever lie.  
>"I'm, uh, Grythan's cousin… from Termina. First time visiting."<p>

"Okay. I still need to know that king Isaac allowed you in here. You have a note or something?"

"Yeah, actually, he wrote me one. Give me a moment."  
>Link made a dramatic show of taking a very long time to try to find the note. He checked his pockets, then his utility belt, then his pockets again, then he emptied out his boots, and –<p>

"Okay, okay. Just go. But next time, you'd better have that note somewhere you can find it easily."

"Thanks," Link smiled sweetly. "By the way, where is Grythan's chamber?"

The guard pointed. "That way, at the end of the hall, turn right, and it'll be first big door. You can't miss it."

Link took off in the direction the guard motioned. He was right, it was impossible to miss. A giant, golden-plated door stood in the middle of the hall opposite a large window, so light shined upon the doors, making it dazzle with fierce brightness.

After checking to make sure no one was around, Link pushed the doors open, then closed them behind him.  
>Link took a look around the room and gasped. The room itself was bigger than Link's entire house back in Ordon. A big canopy bed sat in the middle of the room pressed against the far wall. Before it was a big red carpet with a sun in the middle. On the left of the room stood a very long table, probably able to feast at least ten people. Near the right of the room was a stage with red curtains. Probably Grythan's source of entertainment.<br>Right next to the bed was a brown nightstand with several cabinets. Directly on top of it was a shining gold and blue ocarina.

Link let out a deep breath with relief and joy.  
>The ocarina was not yet in Isaac's hands. Link quickly huffed over to the nightstand and picked up the ocarina. It had a certain contained warmth, which made anyone feel a sense of happiness when held.<p>

"I see you've found it, then."

Link jumped in shock to face his accuser. There was a tall, slender man in a chainmail tunic leaning against the door. He had a long red beard and neatly combed orange hair. He fiddled with a dagger in his hand.

"I knew it was only a matter of time before someone noticed one of the four sacred instruments was gone. But this is very, very, soon. Tell me, boy, I admire your perseverance. What is your name?" He smiled a smile full of gleaming white and yellow teeth.

"What matters is not my name," Link growled at him. "What matters is what I do. For the sake of peace and prosperity in Hyrule, and in the future, my job is to keep it safe from people who wish to do it harm."  
>Link wasn't sure where those words really came from. They just seemed to… flow out of his mouth.<p>

"Spoken like a true knight. So if your name does not matter then," He ambled to a fruit bowl on the long table and took a bite out of an apple. "What exactly _are_ you doing?"

"Taking this back to the time period where it belongs."  
>Link held it in front of himself confidently.<p>

"That thing? It's about as useless as a lump of granite. I tried to play it, only shrill sounds and noises. It's garbage. Still, my father wants it, and what he says goes. He thinks it's got some 'magic influence'. It's not like I believe it, but I've still got to get it for me old pop. So, then," He smiled again.  
>"Let's not make this hard. Hand it over, and maybe I'll spare you."<p>

Link put the ocarina in a pouch in his belt and stared grimly at Grythan. He knew he wasn't making the smartest decision. He was going up against someone armed, while Link had no weapons whatsoever.  
>But if Link gave him the ocarina, he would probably never get it back.<p>

Grythan's smile disappeared.  
>"I see. Then I'm sorry to inform you that I have to kill you."<p>

He casually walked over to Link with the dagger in his hand. He made a swipe at Link, but he jumped out of the way.  
>Grythan laughed and stabbed at Link's head. Link ducked and grabbed Grythan's arm. He pushed him away and ran for the door.<p>

Before Link could reach the handle, a dagger implanted itself in the wood just beside Link's head. Before he could look back, Grythan threw his body on Link's, pressing him against the door. Grythan grabbed the dagger and stabbed down.  
>Link barely rolled out of the way. Grythan kicked his back leg out, kicking Link square in the chest.<br>Link stumbled back and fell on his butt. Grythan approached him and gave him an uppercut that nearly made him black out. Link held on to the sliver of consciousness that remained and stood up, just blocking another punch to the face.  
>Link ducked down and shouldered Grythan in the stomach, who let out a yelp of pain.<br>"Usually I like a little fight-back, but this is getting just annoying," He spat.  
>Grythan grabbed Link's sides and threw him onto the floor. He grabbed his dagger and lunged down. Link caught his arms and held them up.<br>The epic struggle between the two lasted at least a minute before Link gave out.  
>Grythan stuck the dagger deep into Link's flesh, just above his left ankle.<br>Link howled. The pain was unbearable. Through his clouded vision, he saw a pool of blood form where his ankle lay.

Grythan yanked the dagger out, causing Link to scream once again.

Link's vision slowly faded to white. A bright light appeared.  
>Link, for an instant, felt happiness. The pain would end.<p>

The bright light changed into Midna's face.  
><em>You're not dying on my watch. Play the ocarina, idiot.<em>

The white disappeared and was replaced with Grythan's hideous face laughing.  
>He thought he had defeated Link.<br>Anger welled up inside of Link. Not so much for him stabbing him, but for him thinking that a measly flesh wound would kill Link.  
>It'll take a lot more to do that.<br>Link sent a staggering blow to Grythan's nose. He fell back, and Link scurried backwards, pulling out his ocarina.  
>He had no idea what he should play, yet he put the mouthpiece to his lips and blew.<p>

It produced a beautiful sound, something much unlike what Grythan had described.  
>Link experimented, putting his fingers over different holes, making a melody.<p>

Link looked down and saw his body slowly fading from the room. Grythan sat up, nose bleeding, and saw Link dematerializing.  
>"Oh no you don't! Get back here with my instrument!"<br>He stood up and made a final lunge towards Link, dagger outstretched.  
>Grythan crashed headfirst into the wall. He stood up and looked around the room. Link was gone.<p>

Link began materializing on the floor of his house. It was a pretty bad sight; this time he was completely unconscious, his ocarina in his hand, and his ankle swollen and bloody.  
>Zelda, upon seeing him, panicked and called Midna.<br>Midna remained calm. It was obvious she expected this to happen. "Get him up on the bed. Careful with his left leg."  
>Together, they hoisted him up on the bed.<br>"Fetch me a bucket of water. I need to clean his wound."  
>Zelda immediately exited the house with a wooden bucket to get water from the stream. She returned and handed it to Midna, who dabbed a cloth in it and swabbed his leg. "It's still bleeding. Do you know if he has any more cloth fabric?"<p>

"N-no," Zelda shuddered at the sight of Link's ankle. "I don't think so."

"Does he have any bandages?"

"No."

"Damn it, Link, what kind of crap do you keep in this house?! Zelda, run down to Mayor Bo's house for me and ask him for a foot or two of medical tape."

Zelda departed while Midna pressed her palm over the incision, stopping the open flow of blood.  
>Zelda soon returned with the tape. Midna lifted her hands, which were now covered in blood. "Wrap the tape around his ankle. I need to wash my hands."<p>

Zelda slowly encased Link's ankle with medical tape. Midna came back to the room, gazing at Link.

"Well, what do we do now?" Zelda demanded.

"Nothing more. We wait. It has to heal. I have some minor issues in the Twilight Realm to attend to, but if you need me just call. I'll be there in a matter of seconds. And for the goddesses' sakes, do NOT let him get on his feet. He needs to rest at least a week or two. I can't have him swinging swords around when he has a swollen ankle."

"I promise. And speaking of swords… where did his go?"

"I don't know. He must have left it back in Isaac's time period. That's no problem; he can go back and get them anytime. He just needs to use his ocarina."

"What? He can travel through time with his ocarina?"

"With the right melody, sure. Your harp could too, I bet. Just don't go whizzing through time too often. You'll create too many ripples."

Midna disappeared in a shroud of darkness and left Zelda alone with Link.


	9. Prince George

**Link's POV**  
>Link's eyes felt so heavy, like a brick that weighs 1000 tons. He struggled to open them, and he only managed to barely crack one open before it shut on its own again.<p>

_Stupid eyelids_ he thought to himself as he tried again. The searing pain from his ankle that he had felt before had slowly subsided into a more durable state, but his eyelids completely refused to open .  
>Finally after many awkward moments of struggle, Link gave up trying to open his eyelids and instead just decided to listen to the world around him. He felt <em>something<em> or more preferably_someone_ stir next to him and it alerted him for a quick second. He tried to speak but found that no sound would come out of his throat.

A loud bang on the door startled Link and the person next to him, prompting the person to move off the bed and towards the door. Link heard light footsteps and the door creak open ever so slightly and gently. "Stop all of your banging Brandon, you'll wake Link up!" he heard Zelda whisper to him.

"Zelda this is ridiculous, he's been sleeping long enough. Let me in." Brandon insisted. Link heard Zelda sigh and step out of the house to talk to Brandon alone, closing the door in the process. All Link could hear from that point forward was a bunch of muffled voices and a loud gasp followed by a loud smack.  
>Zelda entered a few seconds after and Brandon was right behind her.<p>

At this point. Link's eyelids finally opened and he welcomed in the sweet light he had missed for so long, but only for a second. He saw Brandon grab Zelda by the waist and yank her towards him, forcing her to kiss him for the very first time. Link watched on with a twinge of jealousy developing in his heart, secretly wishing that he could stand up and punch Brandon in the face. He slightly laughed a bit when he saw Zelda pull away and slap him square across the face.

Brandon apologized and tried to make amends, but by this point, Zelda was fuming. She kicked him out without any hesitation and it left Link to wonder what they had talked about outside.

Zelda returned to Link's bedside and smiled when she saw that he was awake. "Hey Link, I'm glad you're not dead." she joked as she bent down and gave him a quick kiss on the forehead.

"Zzellddaaaa." Link managed to whisper as he gazed into her eyes. "What is it, Link? Are you hungry? Do you need to take a nap? Would you like some water?" she said as she offered his glass of water to him.

Link raised one of his arms up and even though it felt like lead, he had to push through. He raised his arm up and gently grabbed Zelda's wrist, catching her off guard as she fell on the bed and into his arms.

He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair. "I want you." he whispered against her neck, causing shivers down her spine.

Zelda knew that she needed to get some things done, but a couple more minutes with him wouldn't hurt. She relaxed under his touch and gently closed her eyes to take a light nap.

Her nap turned out to be way longer than she planned it to be. When she did wake up, she had to distangle herself from Link's arms gently without waking him. When she was done doing that, she changed into a different outfit, a lighter dress that would make traveling much easier, and quietly slipped out of his home.

**Zelda's POV**

Zelda swiftly jumped off the little ledge that lead into Link's home and headed towards Fado's home to ask him a favor. She gently knocked on his door and he sharply opened it, wearing nothing but his boxers. "Whaddaya want?" he asked her, obviously still half asleep from taking a very large nap.

"Hello sir, I understand that you are one of Link's closest friends, and I was wondering if you'd be willing to help him? He's injured and I need you to look after him while I'm away doing some errands. It'll only be for a little while, but would you mind? I can't leave him alone, he can't even stand up to go to the bathroom!"

"Well of course I'd be willing to help Link, after all he has done more favors for me than I could've ever wished for. Might I ask, who are you?" Fado asked.

Zelda slightly stood up a bit taller and slightly smiled. "My name is Zelda, Princess of Hyrule. Currently, Hyrule has run into some trouble, so Link is helping me solve the mystery of the evil threat that lurks about. He is my best friend, and he has always been there for me, so now it's my turn to repay him."

"THE Princess Zelda? Oh my goodness, where are my manners? My name is Fado, at your service my lady. I would be more than happy to assist you and watch Link for the day." Fado said as he bowed respectfully in front of her. He looked down and blushed as he realized what little clothing he was wearing and suggested to Zelda that he should get ready before departing. He gently closed the door and got dressed before coming out again and walking with her to Link's house.

"Now make sure he gets his water, because he likes to act like he's manly and he doesn't need it. And make sure to never let him stand up, because he may think he's cured enough to support his own weight but he's nowhere near being almost cured. Change his cast every three hours or else his ankle could get infected, and make sure to keep him company and entertain him because he will get bored. It's boring just laying there and doing nothing, so try to find ways to entertain him." Zelda instructed as she unlocked the door that lead into his home.

When Fado saw the state Link was in, he slightly turned pale and he looked really worried. He walked over to Link's bed and watched him sleep peacefully. "He looks so peaceful when he's asleep." Fado said out loud. Zelda held a finger to her lips and whispered in his ear "Don't wake Link up, let him wake up on his own. Be as quiet as you can and try not to make any noise. He's a light sleeper. Also, I'll give you this necklace so that we may communicate if you or I run into any trouble. It'll flash red if I'm in danger, and that way you will be alerted to seek help immediately."

Fado nodded and put the necklace around his neck while Zelda took her leave. She walked out of Ordon Village and into Faron Woods, continuing the tasks she had to complete by the end of the day.

**Link's POV**  
>Link woke up a couple of hours later with a slight crink in his neck. "Where am I?" he asked the shadow in the corner. The person moved and sighed, slightly snoring lightly. "Hello? Zelda, are you there?"<p>

Fado opened his eyes and looked around after Link asked that question. He slightly laughed when he heard the question and he approached Link with a bright smile. "No Link, it's not Zelda. It's your best friend Fado! How have you been, buddy?"

"Well honestly, it's been kind of rough these past few days, but at least I got my instrument back from Grythan." Link's eyes widened as he revealed something he shouldn't of had.

"Who's Grythan?" Fado asked, curious to know what Link was talking about. "Oh, uh, just an old friend of mine, heh. He had something of mine so I asked for it back and he gave it back to me." Link lied straight through his teeth.

"You're lying Link, I can see it in your eyes. If you don't tell me the truth, I'll just get it from Princess Zelda." Fado warned him.

"What makes you think she would know? It's not like she's my girlfriend or anything, I don't tell her_everything_ that goes on in my life." Link snapped.

Fado sighed and slightly glanced away for a second."But she is your best friend, or at least that's what she told me. Maybe she was wrong, maybe you two don't have that close of a relationship. But that's besides the point, she knows you better than anyone else and I'm sure she knows the secrets you're trying to hide from me."

"I'm sorry Fado, I shouldn't of had snapped at you. I'm just a bit angry that she left me, I wanted her to stay and make me feel better. It's not that I don't enjoy your company, I do, it's just that her company is a bit more... she understands...you're not exactly... oh, I give up, I don't know how to exactly say it."

"It just that you're in love with her and you don't know how to admit it to her but you still adore her company more than anyone else's company anyway?" Fado stated, looking directly at Link. Link slightly blushed and looked away, not exactly knowing what to say. "How in the world did you know that?" he awkwardly asked, fiddling with his hands.

"My boy, I too know what it's like to be totally in love. But if you don't face your fears and tell her soon, you'll be stuck in the dreaded friend-zone forever." Fado advised.

"I'd hate to interrupt your little fantasy but there is no time for hand-holding and little cute romantic gestures. In case you didn't know, Hyrule is being under attack and there is much at stake here. I would rather save Zelda's life and be stuck in the friend zone forever than risk her life while having a romantic relationship. The sooner I heal the better, because then I can aid them in defeating the most notoriously evil villains this kingdom has ever seen." Link responded.

"Ah, but did you ever stop and think about your own heart? True you're in a hurry to save the kingdom, but what good will that do if you don't even know your own heart? Now I want you to reach down in that big heroic heart of yours and ask yourself what really matters here: Zelda, or Hyrule?"

"They both matter! I mean, Hyrule is important to Zelda, and it's important to me too! This is my home, this is the place where I belong, and I'm not about to let it fall under the hands of Phantom and Gan- I mean, the evil villains that threaten us. The fate of Hyrule rests in my hands as well as Zelda's hands and I'm not about to let it slip through my fingers."

"Wow, that was spoken like a true knight. I see, so you care for both the kingdom and Zelda equally?" he asked, looking down at his necklace and watching it flash red with worry. "So then, what would you say if I told you that Zelda was in grave danger?" Fado asked with worry.

"WHAT?!" Link roared. "How in the world would you know if she were in danger?" he asked, very confused.

"Well, right before she left she gave me this necklace that allows us to communicate, and she said that when it flashes red, that means she is in danger. Right now it's flashing red, so that can only mean one thing. Your lady is in dire need of saving, but you're not healthy enough to go. This is very bad." Fado explained.

"Well, maybe- suddenly, Link was interrupted by the necklace, which was emitting a weird sound that sounded like halfway between a scream and a gasp. "Fado!" he heard a woman's voice exclaim, and then it went away for a brief second before returning back- "Fado, I've run into a bit of trouble, some pesky moblins decided to show up and fight me so I've sent the mailman to give you what I picked up for Link in Kakariko. Just apply it to his ankle and he should be fully cured within the hour. It's a really rare medicine that only the shaman Renado knows how to make, so please try not to spill it. I'll be fine, I've just got to take care of these moblins and I'll be back soon from my errands so don't worry about me. I've got a good weapon to defend myself so I'm not any damsel in distress." Zelda joked.

"Alright Zelda, take care and good luck defeating the Moblins." Fado responded. The necklace's glowing light slowly faded out until it looked like a normal necklace again, and Fado turned his attention to the loud knock at the door.

The mailman stood at the door with a red bottle in his hand. He made that weird little noise he always does when making a delivery and handed Fado the capsule before turning around and running off. Fado returned back inside and immediately started tending to Link's wound.

He unwrapped the bandages and dabbed Link's ankle with a cool wet towel before applying the medicine to the wound. Link howled in pain as the medicine made it feel worse, but only for a quick second as it adjusted to being healed rather quickly. Within the next five minutes, Link could move his foot without major pain and he could even sit up a bit more.

Fado checked the time and realized that he had forgotten to close the gate before heading to his house last night. He had let his goats stay out for the night, and he realized that now they could be anywhere. His eyes widened at this, and he wanted to go rescue them, but he couldn't leave Link alone to fend for himself.

Just as he was debating to stay and wait for Zelda, another knock on the door startled him out of his thoughts. When he opened the door, he came face to face with Brandon, who stormed past him and right to Link.

Link instinctively sat up a bit more and glared at Brandon with the biggest glare he had ever made in his entire life. "What do you want?" he rudely snapped at him, ready to defend himself against Brandon's snarky atitude at any second.

"Look, I'm not here to fight with you, I'm here to assist you. Zelda sent me because she has a couple more errands to run and she didn't want Fado to be stuck with you all day, so she sent me to help. I know we aren't the closest of friends, but would it kill you to be nice to me once in a while?" Brandon sighed.

"Sure, I'll be nice to you, when you stop casually flirting with Zelda and trying to sabotage our relationship." Link rudely growled in response.

Brandon snorted. "What relationship? You two are as close as they get to being strictly friends. Besides, I'm well aware that you don't have the time to commit to a relationship right now because of a _certain_ threat to Hyrule."

Link stiffened back up and looked directly into Brandon's eyes. "Is that a challenge? Fine, I'll go back on what I said earlier, Fado. When Zelda returns I will confess my love and we will have a perfectly healthy relationship while also kicking some butt. I'll show you."

"Psh, what makes you think she'd accept your confession? Remember how she coldly rejected me earlier? She's not right in the mind." Brandon sneered.

"Um, guys? I'd hate to interrupt your little argument here but the necklace is flashing red again." Fado interrupted.

"Fado? Hey, it's Zelda again. I'm not actually in trouble, but I'm just letting you know that I'm on my way back. Tell Brandon he can leave now, and tell Link that I'm bringing a special visitor for him to visit with. That is all." Zelda said.

"Well, you heard the princess! Leave, Brandon. Fado, you can stay for as long as you'd like." Link offered.

"Oh no, I have to go rescue my goats because I accidentally left the gate open and they could be anywhere by now. See you later, Link!" Fado waved as he exited the house.

**Zelda's POV**  
>Zelda surprisingly had a very busy day after she had left Link's house. She visited Renado for the medicine, slayed the moblins who were bugging her to no end, and explored Castle Town to try and see if she could find out any secrets about Phantom and Ganondorf.<p>

While she was in Castle Town, she happened to accidently run into a handsome stranger whom was admiring the happy villagers sing and dance. She apologized and continued on her way to Telma's bar, but not before the stranger could stop her. "Excuse me fair lady, but may I ask what your name is?" he politely asked, bowing respectfully in front of her with a small smile spread across his face.

"My name is Princess Zelda, ruler of Hyrule. Why, do I know you from somewhere?" she questioned. "Oh no, I am a prince visiting from a nearby kingdom and I'm here to aid you in your quest of defeating Ganondorf and Phantom."

Zelda's eyes widened as she stared at the stranger, he sure seemed to know a lot about Hyrule's distaster. "Well I would be honored to have you assist me, we need all the help we can get. There is one thing I must ask before we continue though, how did you know about this?"

"My dear princess, out where I live, everyone knows about Hyrule because we all love the kingdom as much as you do. Now I understand that there is a hero that aids you when Hyrule is in danger, where is that green cloaked boy?" the prince asked.

"Oh, Link? He's at his home in Ordon Village resting from a nasty fight he had to deal with earlier. Would you like to visit him? I'm about to go back and if you'd like to join me, you're certainly welcomed to."

"I would be honored." the prince responded, smiling brightly. "By the way, I never quite got your name, my good sir. What is it?" Zelda asked curiously.

"Oh my goodness, where are my manners? My name is Prince George, ruler of the neighboring kingdom of Arerama at your service, my dear lady." Prince George bowed.

Zelda giggled slightly and started to walk towards Hyrule Field with him. "You don't have to be so formal, this isn't a fancy event or anything. Just call me Zelda. I'm sure Link would be glad to see you, he hasn't had much company all day!"

When they arrived at Link's house, Zelda signaled to Prince George to wait outside for a moment before she stepped into Link's home. Link was standing up in the corner admiring a pictures of him and Zelda when the girl in question came through the door. He spun around and slightly smiled when he saw her, but the look on her face made him immediately regret his decision to stand up and get out of bed.

"Link, what in the name of Hyrule are you doing? You cant just spring up after you've had a bad blow to the ankle, get your little behind back in bed before it gets any worse!" Zelda exclaimed, walking over to him and making sure he got back in the bed first before continuing.

"Anyway, there's someone here to see you. He's a prince from a nearby kingdom and he has come to aid us in defeating Phantom and Ganondorf! Isn't that wonderful news?" Zelda asked, hopeful that Link would be cheerful about it.

"A prince you say? Hmm, sounds interesting. We need all the help we can get, so this is good news. What I don't understand though is why I can't stand up yet. Isn't the expensive medicine supposed to completely heal my wound?" Link questioned.

"Well yes it is, but it takes a full day to completely heal it. It takes an hour to make the pain go away, but you don't want to risk getting it infected or hurting it again before it has the chance to heal completely. Anyway, Prince George is right outside, I'll go get him and introduce him to you. Be right back." Zelda stated as she slipped back outside.

A couple of seconds later, she came back inside with an extremely handsome stranger by her side. "Link, I'd like you to meet Prince George. Prince George, this is Link, the savior of Hyrule."

Prince George shook Link's hand and smiled brightly at him, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Hello sir, my name is Prince George and I am delighted to meet your acquaintance." he formally said. "The pleasures all mine." Link responded back with a fake smile as well. Zelda watched as the two secretly tried to size each other up, and the atmosphere suddenly became very heated.

"So Princess Zelda, may I ask what you plan to do to defeat Phantom and Ganondorf?" Prince George casually asked, never once adverting his stare from Link. "Well, not exactly, but we discovered these mysterious instruments that somehow link to something that will aid us in our quest to defeat them. And I know a bit about Ganondorf's past and how he came to be a villain, so I'm working on summoning his mother from the dead and asking her to convince him not to fight against us."

"That's a good plan. What about you, Link?" "Well, while Zelda's gone to do that, I'm going to figure out the mystery behind these instruments and see what they can do when combined. We'll have to call Midna and Brandon back so that we can all play together, but for now I just want to relax."

"Well, I should probably head back then, I'm going to alert my army about this and we'll aid you for as long as you need us, Princess Zelda." Prince George respectfully bowed once more before exiting the place.

"Wait! Let me escort you home, good sir. Besides, it's probably a little ways back and I'm sure you could use some company." Zelda convinced Prince George. "Alright, but do you have a steed to ride on?" Prince George asked. "I'm rather tired and I don't feel like walking back.

"Well of course, we can use Epona." Zelda said as she walked over to Link's horse, who was currently grazing happily on the grass. "Hey Epona, would you mind giving my friend and I here a lift?" Zelda sweetly asked the horse. Epona neighed in response and Zelda took that as a yes.

Zelda mounted on Epona and then helped Prince George mount up as well. They cantered through Faron Woods and into Hyrule Field to get to his kingdom, but they were abruptly stopped by a mysterious person on an evil looking horse.

Epona reared up and tried to race back to Link's home, but the phantom stallion was too fast for her. He caught up to her in mere seconds, giving the man plenty of time to snatch Zelda off of Epona's back and ride towards the castle. Zelda put up quite the fight, she kicked out and tried to beat the man up but he was too strong for her. He firmly grasped an arm around her waist and used the other hand to cover her mouth. Leaning close to her ear, he whispered "Looks like you're finally mine, sweetheart. I can't wait to use you and turn you against your own little friends to ensure our victory." Zelda shivered at the thought, how could he turn her against her own friends? She would never fall for his tricks! She squirmed and tried to distangle herself from his grip, but ended up failing miserably. She prayed to the goddesses that Link wouldn't get captured as well. That's the last thought she had before he took out a bottle and sprayed her with sleeping gas. Within seconds, Zelda went limp in his arms, and she was fast asleep.

Epona let out a scared cry as she tried to catch up to the mysterious man, but his steed was much too quick for her. Prince George realized this, and he tried to get Epona to go faster, but there was no way they would catch him. So instead, Epona turned around and raced back to Link's home with Prince George cursing under his breath that he would get his revenge.

Prince George jumped off Epona when the house came in sight, climbed up the ladder as fast as he could, and bursted the door open. He came over to Link's beside to deliver the bad news, which he was extremely reluctant to do.

"Link, I have some terrible news. Zelda was kidnapped by Phantom, and I have no idea why he did it but I overheard him say something about turning her against her own friends. This is really bad, we need Zelda on our side to help aid us in defeating them! What are we going to do?" Prince George asked as his voice slightly faltered. Link could see the worry in his eyes and he realized that he wasn't lying.

Complete shock and horror soon found themselves written across Link's face as he tried to take in what he was just told. He looked completely terrified, which was perfectly understandable considering the fact that Phantom and Ganondorf could easily overpower a small thing like Zelda.

And it was in that moment of complete shock that Link decided his confession of love would have to wait. For if they were to be successful in defeating Phantom and Ganondorf once and for all, they had to rescue Zelda from complete disaster before it became too late.


End file.
